A Summer Story
by Gypsy Rose2014
Summary: A NEW GABRIEL-VERSE STORY! A very fluffy story to celebrate the summer. Team Holmes-Watson take off on a month long vacation to the house by the sea. Mayhem ensues. Featuring Gabriel, Scarlett and the twins. And probably some crime-solving.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been in a summery mood lately, so I'm celebrating with a new story! I also had some requests that we see Gabriel as a teen, so this story has fast-forwarded quite a bit in time from "Sandwiches" or "Lollipops." Don't worry, I'm not abandoning those stories. They'll all still be updated as much as I can.**

 **OoOoOoOo**

It had been their tradition in the Holmes household that every summer on or around Gabriel's birthday, to take a long trip to Ambergris. It had grown from a week to a month and everyone in their collective circle usually showed up at some point during that month. They had been going since Gabriel's sixth birthday and now that he was turning fifteen, there seemed to be no reason why they should change. Besides, Sherlock's new hobby had overgrown the garden. Recently he'd decided to take up beekeeping. It was an odd interest of his since childhood when, on a warm summer day, Mycroft had dared him to stick his hand into a hive. With a brave stupidity that only seven year old boys managed to pull off, Sherlock had not only stuck his hand into the hive but removed a honeycomb completely unscathed. Molly thought it would be a wonderful idea to indulge her husband and encouraged him to set up a hive in the garden at Ambergris. Even though the few times she'd watched him do this little party trick, her skin had crawled for the rest of the day. Their month long holiday would be the perfect time to get started. Not to mention it would keep him occupied. Preferably with no murders or threats to their personal safety.

One permanent fixture of their holiday was Katie Adams. Despite their on again- off again romance, Katie had remained Gabriel's best friend through it all. Everyone assumed that they would eventually grow up and get married, always together until finally they were one of those adorable old couples that died holding hands. This time their romantic relationship had been called off by Gabriel citing that he was being smothered by her constant pleas for attention. Molly had tried to explain to him that Katie was a teenaged girl and clingy by definition but he wasn't having it. He'd blown up at her and she'd stormed out of the flat only to return days later where they proclaimed they were "just friends." It was a consistent pattern and therefore no surprise when Katie showed up on departure day, suitcase in hand as usual.

"I sense trouble brewing there," Molly sighed as she and Mary loaded bags into the boot of Molly's newly acquired car.

"Where?"

Molly nodded to where Katie and Gabriel were standing by the Watsons' rental car with Jada. "Over there." The three of them were giggling together, but two things were obvious: Jada was hanging on every word Gabriel said and Katie couldn't keep her hands off of him.

"Oh… yes. I'm afraid my daughter has resolved to marry Gabriel. It's been three years and she hasn't wavered yet. I'm just afraid she's going to get her feelings hurt very soon." Mary shook her head sadly. "She doesn't realize that five years is a lifetime when you're ten and the object of your affection is fifteen."

Molly smiled. "I remember being that age and wishing I were older. I never wanted to be with the kids my age."

Before Mary could reply a howl of pain broke through the din of traffic noise. Seconds later Scarlett and Izzy came out of the house dragging a weeping Finn behind them. "Mummy!" Scarlett shouted. "Finn fell down the stairs!"

"Oh my goodness!" Molly exclaimed, rushing to Finn and kneeling down to examine him. "Are you okay? Show Mummy where you're hurt!" The four year old sniffled and whined, pointing out all of his injuries, among them a scraped hand, knee and a bloody lip.

"You're such a drama queen, Scarlett," Izzy scolded. "He just fell off the last step."

"You're too literal," Scarlett retorted before turning back to her mother. "Will pushed him."

"What?"

"Daddy told them to take their bookbags downstairs. Finn was going too slow and Will pushed him down the last step."

"Will make me fall, Mummy," Finn wailed. The twins were always trying to maim one another in some way. While their twin-ness made them so close that they even had their own language, it also made them quick to argue and fight for dominance. The boys were often in trouble at their preschool for clonking one another.

"Come on, Finn," Molly sighed as she hoisted the little boy up on her hip. "Let's get you cleaned up." By the time Molly and Finn reached the lounge, Will was sniffling on the sofa and Sherlock was noticeably absent.

"Mummy!" Will started, running to her and throwing his arms around her waist. "I didn't push Finn! He tripped!"

"You did so!" Finn protested, looking down at his brother. "You told me to hurry up and you push me down the stairs!"

"Did not!"

"Quiet! Both of you!" Molly exclaimed. She let Finn down and he flopped into the armchair, crossing his arms and pouting. "Sit right here while I get the first aid kit. And neither of you move a muscle!" She could hear the boys arguing before she even made it into the bedroom. She sighed and shook her head as she continued into the bathroom. Sherlock stood in front of the sink shaving but didn't acknowledge her presence until she moved him aside.

"Oh. Sorry," he said.

"Already off in your mind palace I take it?"

"It's my only defense," he replied.

"Is that where you were when Will shoved Finn down the stairs?" Molly was trying not to sound annoyed. It wouldn't do for them to begin their vacation with a fight. They seemed to be arguing far too much for Molly's taste the last couple of weeks. She supposed they'd both been feeling the stress of their full lives lately. Endless cases, clients, late shifts, chasing after twin boys, dance classes, speech therapy, rugby practice, violin lessons, orchestra practice—their whole lives were some kind of insane marathon that never seemed to slow down.

"No. I saw it happen. And he didn't shove Finn down the stairs. He nudged him and he stumbled down the last step." He flinched as he nicked his skin with the edge of the razor.

"Semantics, Sherlock! He could have hurt Finn badly!"

"But he didn't."

"But he could have."

"But he _didn't_!" Sherlock snapped, throwing the razor into the sink. "Look, what do you want me to do, Molly? String the kid up by his toenails and dangle him over Baker Street?"

"No, but a stern talking to from his father wouldn't go amiss!"

"So you just assume that didn't happen?" Sherlock whipped around, wiping the remaining shaving lotion from his chin and brushing past her toward the wardrobe. "Come now, Molly. It wouldn't be a holiday if it didn't begin with me whacking one of our children on the backside and relegating them to the sofa." He jerked his arms through his shirt, obviously angry and impatient with the conversation. "It's as if the last ten years have been a blur."

"What are you talking about?"

"Everyone acts like I'm some kind of blithering idiot when it comes to our children. Unless, of course, they need me to be the villain!"

Molly sighed. "Fine, Sherlock." She grabbed the First Aid Kit from the medicine cupboard and started across the room with it. His biting tone stung her eyes and she just wanted to be out of the room before they were having a full on shouting match. Before she could get to the door, Sherlock grabbed her wrist gently, stopping her short.

"Molly. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She nodded, keeping her head down. "It's fine."

"No… no it isn't." He took the kit from her hand and embraced her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm running on an hour of sleep and I'm just being impatient and rude."

"Wow. You're acknowledging that you're rude. There's another one for my notebook."

"Charming," he replied, kissing her forehead again. "I know I've been monstrous to live with lately. I've been so busy, but I promise I'll be better. This month away will be good for us."

"So no clients? No mobile?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Let's not go that far."

She smiled and this time allowed him to kiss her lips. She started to pull back, but his grip around her waist tightened, deepening their kiss. Molly could feel her skin flushing with heat. That distinct dizziness that Sherlock caused. She opened her mouth, breathing him in and inviting his tongue inside. His movements were suggestive of future activities and Molly found herself slowly submitting to his advances, completely forgetting about the children, the packing—everything.

"Mummy! Cat's licking Finn's skinned knee."

They broke their kiss and turned to see Will standing in the doorway and shifting from one foot to the other. "I told you not to move from the sofa, William," Sherlock said, making a point to call the child by his full name.

"But I have to go…" He finished his sentence with more dancing.

"Then just go," Sherlock replied. When the child didn't move, he rushed him out. "Hurry up!" he exclaimed, nudging the child toward the bathroom. Will was famous for waiting until it was too late. He turned and feigned a comical look of exasperation. "And you wonder why we're cranky all the time."

"I never wonder, darling," Molly said with a giggle.

 **OoOoOo**

Sherlock hated Molly's car. Hated. It wasn't so much a car as a transfer van. Enormous, unruly and crowded. She'd insisted on having it earlier in the year because she was frustrated with never being able to go anywhere together. Sherlock thought this argument was ridiculous seeing as how they never went anywhere all at the same time anyway unless they could walk. And he was fine with taking the Tube. But nothing would do but they had to have this ridiculous petrol-guzzling monstrosity with its three rows of seats rather than the sleek black Jaguar that Sherlock wanted. The only thing he hated more than the car itself was having to drive it.

"What the hell is my life now?" Sherlock grumbled after threatening Finn and Scarlett with violence one more time if they continued bickering.

"Pardon?" Molly murmured, almost asleep.

"Nothing," he sighed. He drove on for another few kilometers before piping up again. "Did you bring the bag with all the medicines?"

"Yeah," she replied with a yawn. "Why?"

"Just making sure. I wouldn't want you getting pregnant on this trip."

Molly sat up and looked at him strangely. "What?"

He gestured to the five children behind them. "Look at all of them. There's too many as it is," he whispered.

"Well to be fair, Katie isn't ours."

"She is for the next month."

Molly giggled and squeezed his hand. "You're so silly sometimes."

"I am _not_ silly. All the evidence points to your being extremely fertile. It would be just like you to get yourself pregnant."

"Well if I'm remembering correctly, it's kind of a group effort." Molly laughed and took a sip from her bottle of water.

"Mummy, can I have some water too?" Scarlett chirped, leaning forward and holding her hand out. "I'm thirsty."

"Me too," Will and Finn chimed in together.

Sherlock groaned. When they started drinking water they'd all have to stop for the toilet, putting them further behind. He hadn't told Molly, but Lestrade had called him earlier to ask that he go and speak to a friend on the Sussex Police force about a case that had been giving them quite a bit of difficulty. He was supposed to meet said friend late in the afternoon but if they had to stop every twenty minutes he'd never make it. Molly must have sensed his frustration and turned to hand them one kid sized bottle.

"You can all share this one but it's another hour until we stop for lunch so don't drink it all." As Scarlett took the bottle, Molly gasped and turned back around fast. "Damn," she sighed.

"What is it?" Sherlock asked.

"Look back there," she said indicating the mirror. "Just look."

Sherlock glanced into the rearview mirror to see that Katie Adams had fallen asleep with her head on Gabriel's chest and her arm thrown across his stomach. It did not look like the pose of two people who were "just friends." Gabriel seemed unbothered, continuing to read his book. "What about them?"

"I thought they broke up," Molly said.

"They always break up and get back together. It's what they do." Honestly, Sherlock couldn't care less about the love lives of teenagers. As long as they weren't engaging in coitus in the back seat of the car, he was pretty disinterested.

"But I was hoping they could refrain on this trip. Little Jada is going to be so brokenhearted." Molly shook her head sadly.

"Jada? Jada Watson? That's ridiculous. She's only ten."

"That doesn't matter. She's got it bad for Gabe and she's almost to the age where she's going to be very upset that he sees her as a little kid. His other baby sister."

"Can we stop talking about this?" Sherlock blurted.

Molly rolled her eyes and flopped back in her seat.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: WARNING! SMUT AHEAD! Yes, loves I must have been in the mood for love today because this chapter has a very explicit scene. So if that's not your cup of tea, stop reading at the break...LOL. Hehe... I'm enjoying this. BTW- Thank you so much for the reviews! I promise that this story is going to be light and sexy. I should have just called the story "Summer of Love."**

Gabriel was sitting on the patio overlooking the beach, blithely eating his third bowl of cereal and watching the waves. His hair was a tangled mess blowing about and his knit shorts were threadbare, but he didn't seem concerned as he sat in the fluffy chaise with his book. Unlike his father, he was a bit of a morning person and liked being awake before any of his loud siblings woke up. Besides, he was going for a run on the beach with John if the good doctor would ever get up.

"Gabriel, darling. Would you mind taking Cat for a walk?"

He looked up to see his mum stumbling into the lounge, still yawning and rubbing her eyes as the dog wound in and out between her ankles, getting tangled in her dressing gown. "Sure. Does she need to go now or can she wait to run with John and me?" Cat answered first with a whine. "I'll assume that means now," he chuckled. "Come on, Cat." The dog barked and went to sit obediently by the door while Gabriel found her leash. He considered going to get a teeshirt, but he didn't want to take too much time. He could already hear John moving around upstairs.

"Don't forget to clean up after her," Molly called as they started out the door and down the stairs to the beach below. Gabriel let Cat pull him a little ways down the beach before reaching down and letting her off the leash. Cat wasn't a young dog, but she splashed in the surf like a puppy. She'd run for a bit and then stop to look back and make sure she was never too far from Gabriel.

The beach in front of Ambergris was wide with soft, almost white sand. It wasn't isolated, but there were always a few people here and there. Gabriel liked it both ways. In the winter, he had grown to appreciate the desolate beauty. In the summer he enjoyed the bustling about. His father had told him that he must have inherited this love of the sea from his grandmother. Gabriel thought he'd liked to have met his grandmother. The more he learned about her, the more he liked her. He often found himself looking through the old pictures of her that adorned the walls at the cottage.

"Hey handsome! Is that your dog?"

Gabriel turned to see a blonde girl sprinting toward him. She wore a pair of shorts that ended in the middle of her thighs and an oversized long sleeved teeshirt. Her smile was infectious and Gabriel grinned as she approached. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course," she said. Suddenly he was very aware that she was staring at him and while he could hear his father's scoffing in his head, his heart fluttered. "So is it?"

"Is it what?"

"Is that your dog?" She pointed to where Cat was nosing around a discarded can.

"Um… yeah."

"Oh. He's cute!"

"She."

"What?"

"Cat. My dog. She's a girl."

"Oh," the girl said, then giggled. Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink and she wrinkled her tiny, turned up nose when she laughed. It made Gabriel want to smile too. "Your dog's name is Cat?"

"Yeah. It's short for Catastrophe. My dad named her."

The girl laughed harder. "That's cute." She held out her hand. "My name's Jessica."

"Hi. I'm Gabriel." He took her hand, meaning to shake it but ending up just holding it in his palm. After a few seconds it seemed awkward and he dropped it abruptly.

"Well hello, Gabriel. Are you here for the summer?"

"Well, for a month. I'm here with my parents and my brothers and sister. Actually there's lots of us." He pointed at Ambergris a little ways down the beach. "That's our house."

"Oh okay. We're staying at the hotel. Just me and my mum." She stood there looking a bit awkward for a moment. Gabriel watched as she shifted from one foot to the other, staring down at the sand. It was an odd sort of dance and he wasn't sure he understood what was going on. "Well anyway, I'm just glad to see another kid here. It's been pretty boring so far. I've never been here before."

"There aren't many kids here. I'm from London, so most places are pretty quiet to me. But I like it."

"You're from London?"

"Yep. Lived there since I was five."

Jessica seemed impressed. Her round brown eyes were wide, like one of those dolls that Scarlett played with all the time. "Nice. I've never been to London. We're from a little town in Shropshire. Nothing ever happens there." Someone called out and Jessica turned. "Well, I guess I have to go now. But maybe I'll see you on the beach later?"

"Sure. I'll show you this place down the beach where most of the summer kids hang about. They have coffee and ice cream and wifi."

"Great!" Jessica exclaimed. She waved once more before running off.

 **OoOoOo**

Molly carried two cups of tea carefully up the stairs. She avoided the squeaky third step and the other noisy planks as she made her way back to the bedroom. She didn't want the other children to wake up just yet. Mary and John could be heard talking in their bedroom, but there were nothing but snores coming from the girls' room where Scarlett, Izzy and Jada were still sleeping. The twins would be her biggest worry, but if the door was locked, they'd just go downstairs and watch telly. She spied the clock in the hall and noticed that it wasn't yet eight o' clock. Perfect.

Sherlock lay on his back with one arm thrown behind his head and the other across his stomach. A corner of the sheet covered one leg partially but the rest of him was gloriously naked. His face was turned away from her, accentuating his elegant throat and profile. He must have been dreaming because as she tiptoed across the room and set their teacups on the nightstand, she could see his eyelids twitch just a little and he made soft, unintelligible noises as if he were trying to talk to some unseen person.

With a tug of the knot at her waist, she opened her dressing gown and let it slip from her shoulders to puddle on the rug at her feet. Her long, auburn hair fell across her brow and into her eyes as she climbed into the bed beside him. She finally became frustrated with it and tied it in a quick knot at the back of her head. "Sherlock," she whispered, kissing the pulsing vein at the base of his throat. He responded only with another of those murmurs and waved his arm as if trying to swat away a fly. Never one to be discouraged, Molly traced his collarbone with her lips placing hot kisses along his skin. She paused at his nipple, rubbing the flat of her tongue against it until it prickled. She suckled it gently and then moved over to the other, climbing over his body until she was perched on her knees between his outstretched legs.

Molly smiled when he didn't stir. He was most definitely knackered. The last few weeks had finally caught up with him, but Molly was a clever girl. She could wake him properly. Leaning over, she brushed her cheek against the patch of soft hair that began just under his navel, marking the trail that led further down to the root of his cock. Already she could feel it stirring against her chest, sensing what she had in mind. She couldn't resist flickering her tongue around his navel, tasting the salty skin. He smelled divine, even after sleeping a long and humid night. Musky and masculine. It made the corners of her jaw ache as her mouth watered. She was hungry for him. Sherlock was the love of her life and nothing gave her greater pleasure than giving him pleasure, but this was more basic. Primal.

She sat up on her knees and looked down at him, just to be sure he was still asleep. It would be just like Sherlock to pretend, but even he couldn't disguise those telltale signs of sleep. He was drifting in the shallows now, in that vague expanse between waking and dreaming. Molly ran her palms over his chest and down his belly, feeling the flesh against her palms. The deep scar at his side where he'd been stabbed in Latvia stood out in harsh relief against the muscle. There were others. Other scars, other adventures. He'd told her most of the stories. Some of them with laughter, others with tearful resolve. There was one high on the inside of his thigh, bright white and jagged. Molly had stitched it herself when he'd shown up late on her doorstep one night during his "death." Before Gabriel. Before he loved her. She remembered that night so well. He wouldn't have stopped in at all if he hadn't been truly afraid he would bleed to death. His attacker had nearly nicked the artery and his leg was covered in blood by the time he got to her, soaked through the pair of dirty jeans he'd been wearing. Sometimes when she recalled the memory she could still smell the blood and it brought tears to her eyes. Every time she stared at him this way, she remembered that night. In order to get to the wound, he'd had to completely disrobe and Molly could still remember trying not to blush and keep her eyes on her work as she stitched him up. Up until that night she'd never seen a man's genitalia up close. It had always been some great and frightening mystery. Nice girls didn't peek. But he hadn't been the least bit shy about it and only lay there on her old couch smoking a cigarette while she attended to his wound. His voice didn't even hitch when the back of her hand brushed against his penis.

"You're so beautiful, Husband," she whispered before leaning in and taking him into her mouth.

Sherlock didn't wake at first. Which was perfect. It gave her time just to enjoy the taste of him. The softness of the thin sheath of skin against her lips. The sensation of his cock pulsing in her mouth as he came to life. These were the things Molly relished. The novelty of taking control just this once. Most times she was content to let him lead, but the excitement of having this power over him every once in a while—it made her drip with desire until she could feel herself daring to press her sex into the bed. Subtle delicious friction that would dissipate the growing heat in her womb.

In seconds he was fully erect and Molly could tell that he was awake now. His hips arched against her and the hand that had been resting against his belly was now in her hair tugging at the knot she'd made before. He didn't speak save for incoherent growls and moans. They only added to her enthusiasm, urging her to take him deeper. She wanted to reach down and touch herself, but denial could be delicious and she could wait. He shouted into the pillow as he came, his entire body shaking with tense release that had been a long time coming.

"Jesus," he said when he was able.

"Good morning," she giggled, wiping her mouth daintily with a tissue from the nighttable. "Happy vacation."

"Come here, Mouse," he snarled, beckoning her forward with his long and elegant fingers. She climbed into his arms, snuggling into his embrace, still warm from sleep. She had to hand it to Sherlock. He was very progressive, having no trouble whatsoever kissing her forcefully after their encounter. "Naughty mouse," he purred, drawing his fingertips down her side and along the back of her thigh.

"Mmm," she sighed against his ear. "Put those expert fingers to good use."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So my goal is to update this story every day so that you have something new and fun to read every afternoon. I dunno how long I'll be able to keep that up as I have "real world" deadlines that I'm avoiding...LOL. But your reviews always make me anxious to give you more stuff. Thanks again! 3**

John Watson was desperately trying to hide the fact that he couldn't keep up with Gabriel anymore. The boy was just too fast and too fit for him. Not to mention his knees were only fifteen years old and he'd never been to Afghanistan. He'd also been a lock on the rugby team for two years, ran at least two miles every day and fenced with his father weekly. It killed John to think that Gabriel was deliberately slowing down to make John feel better. It was also slightly annoying that while they were both running down the beach in nothing but their board shorts, women of all ages were ogling Gabriel, not him. When did this boy, a boy who John considered his child, become a sexual competitor? Like his father, Gabe was completely oblivious to the attention, but John noticed. The way that even college aged women were staring was upsetting. It's true that Gabriel had always been a bit more mature than other kids his age, but at fifteen he practically looked like a grown man.

And it was bloody unnerving.

"Are you okay, John? You look out of breath." Gabriel pulled up short, letting John stumble up beside him.

"I'm… fine…" John gasped.

"It's the sand. Running in dry sand is harder," Gabriel explained.

"You aren't having any trouble. And I'm a bloody soldier! I was in Afghanistan!"

Gabriel laughed and clapped John on the shoulder. "You were a doctor, mate." Gabriel sat down on the sand beside John and laid back, enjoying the sun. "I wish we could be here all the time."

"Fat chance with that. Your dad's a Londoner through and through."

"No doubt. Besides, it's much too quiet here for him. No serial killers running loose."

Before John could reply, a blonde teenaged girl ran past them and shouted, "Hey Gabe!" John smirked as Gabriel smiled and waved back to the girl.

"Who was that?"

"Some girl I met on the beach earlier when I was walking Cat. Her name's Jessica."

John nodded. "I think she fancies you."

Gabriel shrugged and pushed his heavy curls away from his face. Even knotty with sweat and salt, they were unruly. Everyone including Irene Adler, had been griping at him to cut it off. He refused and now it was nearly to his shoulders. "She's probably just bored."

"That didn't look like boredom," John chuckled.

Gabriel shrugged again. "I don't understand girls most of the time."

"That's to be expected. Given that your father has been married to your mum for eight years now and he still doesn't have a clue. And don't even get me started on your biological mum."

"Yeah, I've never asked how my dad met Irene in the first place. I get the feeling he doesn't really want me to know. She wasn't really even his girlfriend was she?"

"Not really, no. They met through a case."

"Kind of a hit it and quit it situation?"

John wrinkled his nose. "I wouldn't put it like that. But yes."

"Girls never know what they want. They always change their minds. It's exhausting." Gabriel heaved a sigh and sat up. "Like Katie, for example. Two weeks ago she was calling me a heartless, mechanical bastard and last night she was trying to crawl in bed with me."

John almost missed what he said then choked when he finally processed. "Crawling in bed with you?"

"Don't worry. Nothing happened. But it wasn't for lack of her trying. We were sitting on my bed playing cards late last night because she couldn't sleep—apparently Scarlett talks in her sleep and it freaks Katie out. Anyway, so we're sitting there playing cards and she just lunges at me and kisses me. So I like, push her away and remind her that we're supposed to be just friends and then she just starts crying. Like, for no reason at all. Saying I don't like her anymore and whining that she's hideous blah blah blah…"

"And what did you do?"

"Well I was trying to be nice. John, she's my best friend and I love her. Of course I don't want her to feel bad. So I just put my arms around her and told her that of course I still liked her and that she was the prettiest girl I knew. So we ended up kissing a little bit and then… she did the weirdest thing…"

John cringed. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear this. "Maybe you should talk to your dad about this."

Gabriel ignored him and went right on relating his story. "She kept trying to take her shirt off."

"And what did you do?" John was trying to keep his cool.

"I told her to stop it, of course! Then she got really mad and stormed out of my room. So now I don't know if I should try to talk to her this morning or just pretend it didn't happen. What do you think?"

John's mouth dried up completely. Should he be giving Gabriel advice like this? He wanted to encourage Gabe to talk to his parents about these kinds of things. "Well, I really think you should talk to Sherlock about this."

Gabriel sighed. "I will. He wasn't up before we left for our run, but I will. I promise. But for now—what would you do?"

"I think you should talk to her. If you don't want to be her boyfriend, then you need to tell her that. It's not fair to either one of you to pretend."

"Well I don't know if I do or not. I mean, Katie's the only girl I've ever kissed. Maybe I want to have dates with other girls too. Is that bad?"

"Not at all. After all, mate. You're only fifteen. As long as you're honest and responsible, I think you should do what you want. Within reason, of course."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Do I need to just get a teeshirt that says 'no, I'm not having sex'?"

 **OoOoOo**

"But Mummy, why can't we have cupcakes for breakfast?" Will was obviously perplexed by this question. If it were up to Will, he'd eat nothing but cupcakes and macaroni and cheese for every meal. "When you made them for my birthday, there was eggs and milk inside. Don't we have eggs and milk for breakfast?"

"It's not the same thing," Scarlett sighed. They had this conversation a lot. "There's too much sugar in cupcakes."

"Your sister's quite right," Molly said, putting a plate of breakfast in front of Will. "And all of that fruit on your plate should be eaten."

As soon as her back was turned, Will began putting the grapes on Finn's plate. "I bet my Nena would make me cupcakes for breakfast," he grumbled.

Mrs. Hudson chuckled. "Of course I'll make you cupcakes, love. But you have to eat breakfast first."

The dining table by the kitchen was full to bursting this first morning. The girls were chattering happily on one side of the table while the twins bickered. Mrs. Hudson and Mary had taken it upon themselves to fix breakfast, buzzing about the kitchen. Molly and Sherlock were the last to come down and it was obvious that whatever had kept them sleeping in had been quite pleasant. They were more touchy-feely than they had been in months and almost giddy with happiness. Their relaxed mood had affected everyone, save for Katie Adams who sat at the end of the table brooding.

As soon as Sherlock sat down, the very sleepy Finn climbed into his lap and snuggled. "Don't you want to eat?" he asked the small boy.

"I don't like eggs," Finn declared.

"You always have before," Sherlock countered. "What's wrong with eggs this morning?"

Every family had a kid that wouldn't eat and Finn was theirs. His tastes changed daily and he often refused to eat anything. Sherlock and Molly had finally just decided to be patient with him and wait for signs of starvation. Scolding him did no good. Making him sit at the table until he ate his food did no good. When Molly mentioned this to the pediatrician on their last visit, he'd just told them that Finn would eat when he got hungry. Mrs. Hudson was a bit more cagey about the whole thing. She'd tried telling him that there was a prize in his food if he ate all of it. When he ate all of his cereals that day and found no prize, he was so mad he screamed for an hour. "He doesn't like anything," Will said through a mouthful of eggs.

"I do so!" Finn protested and scrubbed his face against Sherlock's shoulder. "I just don't want any food right now."

"Not even grapes?" Sherlock asked, grabbing one off of Finn's plate and popping it into his mouth.

"No thank you, Daddy," Finn replied.

Before Sherlock could protest, Gabriel and John returned from their run. Gabriel bounced through the door and into the kitchen to embrace Molly and drink directly from the orange juice container that was sitting on the counter. "Eeww… you're all sweaty, Gabe!" she squeaked.

"And don't drink orange juice right out of the carton, please," Mary scolded, offering him a glass. "We don't need to share your cooties."

"You used to be happy to see me," Gabriel said, feigning annoyance.

"I'm always happy to see you," Molly started, kissing his cheek. "But your sweaty body smells funky."

Jada scooted over on the bench, nearly pushing Will off the end. "You can sit over here by me, Gabriel."

He smiled. "It's okay, Jada. I'm going to go shower. I already ate breakfast."

Mary and Mrs. Hudson sighed in unison. "Three bowls of sugary cereals probably isn't the best breakfast," Mrs. Hudson scoffed.

"No worries, Nena. I ran it all off." He kissed Mrs. Hudson's cheek and took the stairs two at a time.

Finn narrowed his eyes angrily and wiggled off of Sherlock's lap. "Nobody ever makes Bre eat."

"He's old enough to decide for himself," Molly said. "When you're fifteen you can eat when you want too. But until then, come over here and eat your breakfast so we can all go to the beach." Finn grudgingly did as he was told, pushing Will aside to sit down. Molly draped herself in Sherlock's lap, handing him a new cup of tea and kissing his cheek. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up tightly against him, kissing her cheeks, nose and finally her lips while everyone around them chattered.

Jada giggled, covering her mouth with both hands to hide it. Interaction between couples was very interesting to her these days. She'd started asking Mary all sorts of questions and observed her parents' relationship constantly. She was always playacting elaborate, romantic dramas with her dolls and reading fairy tales. "They're kissing," she whispered to Scarlett.

"I know," Scarlett said with a groan. "I don't know why they like doing that."

 **OoOoOo**

Katie finally slipped up the stairs when Scarlett began asking why her parents locked their door some nights. And what had been so funny early this morning. She'd had every intention of putting on her swimsuit to go out to the beach, but when she emerged at the top of the stairs, she caught a glimpse of Gabriel coming out of the bathroom in his board shorts and a clean teeshirt. "Oh… hi," she said, brushing past him.

"Hey Katie," he said. "Are you going to the beach?"

"Sure. If you're going."

"Yeah. I just didn't want to be smelly." She could tell by the way he wasn't really looking at her that he was avoiding the subject of their kiss.

"Look, Gabe. I'm… I'm sorry about last night."

"It's okay. Really. I'm not worried about it."

Katie nodded. "I'm just kind of… confused about everything."

Gabriel sighed and nudged Katie into the room where she was staying with the other girls. "Katie, we're best friends and that's never going to change. But right now we're just…"

She nodded, trying unsuccessfully to keep her tears at bay. "I get it, Gabe. You just don't like me that way anymore."

"I didn't say that. I just think that maybe both of us should… I don't know, explore our options. We've never even kissed anyone else."

"Speak for yourself."

"What?" He narrowed his eyes, his mouth falling open.

She laughed. "Do you really think I've never kissed anybody but you?"

"Yes! You said I was the only boyfriend you ever had!"

"The only boyfriend, yes. But… I sort of… kissed Archie."

"When?!"

"Ages ago," she giggled. "And then a little bit last week. Actually, it was a little bit more than kissing." Gabriel was stunned. His cheeks glowed red and he kept balling and relaxing his fists. "Are you mad?"

"Mad would imply insanity," he said through pursed lips. "I'm going to the beach."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this is late. And shorter than usual. I had a very busy day yesterday, so I didn't have as much time as I'd like. But I wanted to be sure I gave you a little something to snack on before the weekend! Thank you so much for all your reviews! I'm overwhelmed by the positive response to this story and my interpretation of Gabriel as a teenager. I did have a comment that we weren't happy with Katie. Just remember- Katie is a teenaged girl. She is vying for Gabriel's attention and enjoying driving him nuts. But don't worry- she's just as sweet as she always was. And Gabe will probably give as good as he gets by the time its all over. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Scarlett, you have to put on sunblock!" Molly had been chasing her daughter all over the cottage trying to corner her. With Scarlett's red hair and pale skin, she'd burst into flames without sunblock. They'd been having this argument since she was old enough to talk back.

"But it stinks, Mummy! And it's cold. I don't like it!"

"As I've told you a thousand times before about a thousand other things: it doesn't matter if you like it or not," Molly growled, steering the child out on the patio. "Can we please not fight about this again, Scarlett?" Molly and Scarlett were alike in so many ways that they were often at odds.

Scarlett sighed but finally stood still, grudgingly letting her mother spray her arms and legs down with the sticky white lotion. But as she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection on the window, Scarlett's scowl softened. She was very excited about her brand new swimsuit. She looked very grown up. It was the first swimsuit she'd had that was completely devoid of little flowers, hearts or fruits printed on it. There were also no ruffles or skirts. It was a black and white two-piece with polka dots on the top that was almost exactly like Molly's. Her very first two-piece. "I look like you, Mummy!"

"A bit, yes," Molly said, rubbing the sunblock into her tummy. "You'll be the prettiest girl on the beach."

Scarlett smiled and threw her arms around Molly. "I love you, Mummy. Thank you for my cozzy."

And suddenly any annoyance she'd had with the child dissipated. Scarlett was nothing if not grateful. If you gave the child so much as a stick of gum she was falling over herself to thank you for it. It was one of her most endearing qualities. "Love you more, Peaseblossom. And remember if you're going to swim today to leave your hearing aids inside."

"Can I just take my case with me so I can take them out if I want to go in the water? I don't like to sign in front of regular people."

"Why not?" Molly asked. "You're very good at it." And she was. Scarlett had started going to a school that specialized in deaf kids when she was in kindergarten and now she was an expert in signing. Her speech was still a little strange at times, but she had made amazing progress.

"They look at me funny."

"Oh, that's just silly Scarlett. They're probably just curious. But if you want to wear them that's fine. Just be sure to take them out before you go near the water and clean them tonight before bed."

"Molly, I can't find my—" Sherlock stepped out on the patio, nearly falling over Scarlett." When he regained his footing, he gasped at seeing her. "Hello Scar-baby," he choked. "Would you mind going inside and looking for my sunglasses?" Molly wrinkled her nose, looking at him strangely. Sherlock didn't wear sunglasses. Ever. She wasn't even aware that he owned a pair. "I think Gabriel borrowed them." Scarlett nodded and gave her father a noisy kiss on the cheek before bouncing into the house to look for Gabriel.

Sherlock closed the door behind her and whipped back around to glare at Molly. "What on Earth is Scarlett wearing?"

Molly giggled. "Isn't it adorable? It looks just like mine!" She opened her cover-up and showed off her own swimsuit. It was a more revealing, adult version of the one Scarlett wore.

"It is not adorable! It's obscene!"

Molly burst into peals of laughter. "Don't be ridiculous, Sherlock."

"Me? Me being ridiculous? Did you not notice that _all_ of her skin is showing?"

"Come on, Sherlock. She's just a baby."

"Exactly my point!" he hissed. " _My_ baby that doesn't need to be parading around the beach with no clothes on!"

"Oh whatever! The first time we came here after she was born we had her out on the beach in nothing but her nappy!"

"She was an infant then! Now she's… taller."

Molly laughed and shook her head, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing his cheek. "You're so cute, darling."

"Please don't patronize me, Molly."

She smirked and stood back, examining him. "Did you change your hair today? I think it suits you better this way."

He narrowed his eyes, taking several seconds for it to dawn on him that Molly was using his own tactics against him. "That's not funny at all, Mouse."

She giggled as she walked away.

 **OoOoOo**

Any boy that ever wanted to date Scarlett Holmes would have a lot to live up to. She lived in a predominantly male household that treated her like a princess every minute of every day. And no one could be more adoring of a little sister than Gabriel. And Scarlett thought that the sun only rose because Gabriel wished it. The only male that might ever possibly be in the same echelon with Gabriel was her father. So when she commented that the sand was too hot, Gabriel picked her up on his shoulders to carry her to the beach.

Everyone knew that Scarlett was afraid of the water. She could swim well enough in the pool around the corner from the flat, but when it came to the ocean, she was pretty wary. Her baby brothers had no trouble with this at all. Will had been scolded many times for running full speed toward the ocean without supervision. But Scarlett not so much. It was fairly odd considering her daredevil approach to everything else. She liked build sandcastles on the sand and play in tidal pools with the twins or Izzy and Jada, but she couldn't bring herself to go out in the waves. "Bre are you scared of anything?"

"Sure."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Lots of things. I'm not much for roller coasters. Why do you ask?"

Scarlett shrugged and wrapped her arms around his head. "Izzy and Jada were laughing at me because I don't like the waves. Do you think I'm a scaredy cat, Bre?"

"Of course not. Swimming in the ocean is way different than swimming in the pool. And the only reason they're going out there is because John's holding them. If you tell Dad you want to go out there, he'll hold you too."

"Daddy goes out too deep," Scarlett sighed. Gabriel smiled remembering how he'd climbed up on his father's back, laughing wildly as he dove over the breakers and into the deeper water beyond. He'd been completely confident that Sherlock would not let him go under. Scarlett was much less trusting when it came to her personal safety. "Besides, he'll be playing with Will and Finn."

"Well just tell him you want him to play with you for a while. You know, I used to get jealous about you when you were little."

"You did not! You always liked me Bre."

He laughed and put her down on the sand as they reached the beach. "Of course I did. But that didn't mean I wasn't jealous. You were little and cute and it seemed like everyone liked you better. But little kids can't do stuff by themselves. They need a lot of attention, but you can tell Mum and Dad you need them too."

"Maybe," she said. "Daddy still goes out too deep."

"I'll teach you if you want. I'll have you swimming like a fish. You'll go out with me won't you?"

She hummed, obviously thinking about the prospect of going out in the ocean with her older brother. "I'll try, Bre. But if I get scared?"

"We'll come back. I promise."

Scarlett smiled and kissed the back of her brother's hand as he led her down to where their canopy had already been set up. Molly was terribly paranoid that the twins were going to be sunburned to a crisp and miserable so she'd insisted on a large, cumbersome canopy. Katie sat in a chaise beside Mary and as Gabriel spread out his towel and pulled his shirt over his head, he thought he caught a glimpse of her peering over her sunglasses at him.

So let her, he thought grimly. Perhaps she could think of him the next time she was snogging with Archie. "Come on, Scarlett. Let's go get wet before the twins get out here and make us play with them."

"I want to come too, Gabe!" Jada was immediately at his side and taking his hand. She turned back and motioned for Isabel to come. "Come on!"

Izzy shook her blonde pigtails emphatically. "I'm going with my daddy," she said with a tug on John's hand. Obviously Jada and Isabel were having an attack of sibling rivalry this morning.

"Oh look! The big puddles!" Jada exclaimed, grabbing Scarlett. She was referring to the tidal pools left behind at low tide. Both girls ran toward the tidal pools and began splashing around.

"Scarlett! You're going to get your hearing aids wet!" Gabriel called.

"Well here you are, back again." Gabriel turned to see Jessica jogging up behind them. She really must be staying just up the beach. Or maybe she was stalking him.

"Hi!" he said, giving a nonchalant wave.

"Splashing in the waves after your run?"

Gabriel smiled shyly and continued watching the girls. "I'm just here watching out for my little sister." He pointed to where Scarlett was splashing water at Jada.

"Oh that's sweet," Jessica said. "Your sister must be the redhead. She looks like you."

He nodded. "We both look like our dad."

"Your dad must be pretty sexy then." Gabriel's breath hitched, looking up at her like she was growing antlers. She giggled and winked. "Anyway, I just thought I'd say hello. When you're done playing with your sisters, want to get some ice cream?"

"Sure." She smiled and whipped around, tossing her blonde hair before running back toward her own family. Gabriel couldn't help but admire her curvaceous form as she made long strides. This time she was wearing a pair of short board shorts that just barely hid the curve of her bottom and a haltered bikini top. Very different than Katie's modest one piece. Gabriel thought he might like to get to know Jessica a bit better.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello! Thought I was gonna skip a day huh? I'm posting a little late, but I hope it's up to your standards. Trouble's brewing for the teenagers! I know you're trembling with anticipation! Again, thanks for all the reviews- they feed my muse! Enjoy!**

Several nights later everyone was sitting around the table playing a less than friendly game of Trivial Pursuit. They had all insisted that Sherlock be on a team by himself and no one was allowed to help him. The twins tried, of course, but their answer to every question was Star Wars. The kids' team was a formidable opponent with Gabriel being almost as good with trivia as Sherlock. Katie seemed to forgive him for the time being, but he'd been trying to keep his distance a little. He didn't want their interactions to turn into another make-out session that would end badly. Gabriel didn't want to be in a relationship right now but he knew that if Katie kissed him then he wouldn't be able to resist kissing her back. And then she'd think they were back together. And then of course there was Jessica. She hadn't come around again since their first morning. Maybe she didn't fancy him as much as he'd thought. Or maybe she'd seen him on the beach with Katie and assumed that she was his girlfriend.

"Gabe… help me. I can't reach the dice," Jada said, breaking his train of thought. "It's my turn to roll."

"Oh. Sorry," Gabe replied, handing over the dice.

"It's okay," Jada replied with a smile. Before she could roll there was a knock at the door that led out on to the beach.

"Who could that be?" Molly said. "Are we expecting anyone this evening?"

Sherlock sighed. "I don't think so. But you know how Mycroft is. He just shows up." Sherlock opened the patio door to find Jessica standing there. He glanced down at his watch. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Hi. I'm Jessica. I was wondering if Gabriel was here?" Gabriel looked up, hearing his name. He leaned back, peering around Katie. His heart flopped in his chest to see the small blonde girl standing in the doorway. He'd half expected he'd never see her again.

"He is," Sherlock answered. Gabriel was immediately at his side. "See," he said, walking away.

"Hey Jessica. Where have you been? I haven't seen you on the beach the last couple of days."

"Yeah, my cousins got here a little early so we had to do stuff with them. But they're all gone except for my cousin Mark. He's staying for a while. Until we leave. He's our age. Mine and yours I mean." Gabriel could tell that Jessica was nervous standing in the doorway with his entire family staring at her from the table. "Wow… it looks like I interrupted…"

"No!" Gabriel said, a bit too quickly. "We're just having a game. Do you want to come in?"

Before she could reply, Katie had flown from the table to Gabriel's side and was already holding her hand out. "Hello. I'm Katie." She smiled a little too sweetly and casually threw her arm around Gabe's shoulder.

"Oh… hi," Jessica stammered as she shook Katie's hand. "Jess. I met Gabriel on the beach a few days ago. You must be Gabriel's sister?"

Katie chuckled. "Not at all. His sister's only eight. I'm Gabriel's BFF."

"Oh," Jessica replied and then laughed awkwardly. "Oh I see. Your best friend's a girl."

"Does that seem strange?" Katie asked, raising an eyebrow. "We've known each other since we were five."

"A little bit maybe," Jess replied. "If I had a best friend that looked like Gabriel, we'd be more than just friends."

Gabriel laughed really loud and insinuated himself between the girls. He could see the rest of the family watching them out of the corner of his eye and he got the distinct impression that Katie was about to mark her territory in some really horrible way. "Maybe we should just go talk on the patio," he said almost shoving her outside. He almost groaned when Katie followed, but what could he do? She was his best friend and he didn't want her to think she was unwelcome. Or maybe he didn't want Katie to know how much he was attracted to Jessica. "There, this is better. If we'd stood there much longer, my baby sister and brothers would have been jumping around us while we were trying to talk."

"Cute," Jessica replied, sitting down on one of the chaises. "Anyway, I came down to ask if you wanted to go see a film with me tomorrow night. The hotel where I'm staying has a little cinema. And that coffee shop you were talking about is right next door."

"Umm… sure! We could go see that new Marvel movie if they have it."

"Absolutely!" Jess exclaimed.

"Wait, Gabe," Katie interrupted, hopping up to perch on the railing. "I thought you and I were going to see that together."

"Umm… well…" What the hell was he supposed to say now? He couldn't just tell Katie that she could come. This was kind of like a date. Wasn't it? Suddenly he wished his father was out there. He was clever and could figure out what he should say. Fortunately, Jessica was on top of things.

"You can come too," Jess began. "My cousin Mark could come. We can double. Mark's really cute, Kate. I bet he'd like you a lot."

Gabriel smiled and nodded. "That sounds like fun." He turned and shrugged at Katie.

"Sure. Why not?" Katie replied.

"Great. Let me just go make sure it's okay with my parents," Gabriel said.

 **OoOoOo**

Molly had kept up her silence for the rest of the game, for the ice cream afterwards, through her and Mary's walk on the beach, and through bath time with the twins. Now, as she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling and listening to the waves hit the sand outside while Sherlock kissed his way down her throat and across her chest, she couldn't stand it anymore. "I don't think I like this Jessica girl."

"Who?" he murmured, nuzzling the underside of her breast then kissing the plump crest.

"That girl who showed up here tonight for Gabe. I didn't like the way she looked at him."

"How did she look at him?" Sherlock asked, biting at her nipple lightly.

"Kind of the way you're looking at me right now."

Sherlock sighed and sat up, crossing his arms over his chest. "All right, Mouse. Spill it. Quickly before the mood passes."

"I don't know what it is. It's not as if Gabriel has never been on a date. But the only girl he's ever been on a date with is Katie. I can trust her, I suppose. But this girl just looks… fast."

"Fast?"

"Yes. Like she's got… you know… experience."

Sherlock couldn't help laughing. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know! You're the detective, Mr. Science of Deduction. You tell me. What's wrong with her? Because all I've got to go on is mummy intuition which you're always telling me is ridiculous and biased."

"You want me to deduce a fifteen year old girl?"

"Yes."

"Now?"

"Of course now! Why not now?"

Sherlock raised his eyebrow and cast his eyes downward. "I fear I wouldn't be able to concentrate."

Molly giggled. "Well neither will I until you tell me there's nothing to worry about. Go ahead then," she said, sitting up in the bed and pulling the duvet up to her chin.

Sherlock sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "Fine." He sat down beside her on the bed and steepled his fingers under his chin, thinking for several minutes. "Fifteen year old girl. Her accent indicates that she's from the midland region… probably Shropshire. Gabriel stated that they were staying in the hotel which indicates her family probably has money, but she also seems fascinated by Gabriel's stories about London so she's pretty sheltered. She's never lived in a large city. Her cousins came to join them which points to her having a large-ish extended family. Her attire this evening was acceptable for the beach—board shorts and a thin teeshirt covering a swimsuit top. However, it was after 9 pm and the wind on the beach where she presumably walked to get here was quite chilly. In fact, when you and Mary walked there earlier, you commented that you had to put on one of my jumpers and you wouldn't allow Scarlett to go with you for fear of her getting an ear infection from the cool, damp air. That indicates that the girl was trying to show off her figure intentionally for Gabriel. That could be construed as wanting to show him her sexual availability and/ or openness. Given the isolation of the region where she lives, it's possible that she's more promiscuous, statistically speaking."

"Statistically speaking?"

"Of course. Statistics indicate that people who live in smaller, isolated communities are more likely to be sexually active earlier. Simply put—there's nothing to do there except have sex."

Molly stared at Sherlock as if he had suddenly sprouted a horn in the center of his forehead. "You were supposed to make me feel better."

"Sorry, Mouse. I can't control the deductions. They just sort of… happen." He rolled over on his side and slid an arm around Molly's waist.

"Is that so?" she said, sliding down under the covers and sidling up against his body. "Well I'll take that under advisement next time."

"Do that," he said, kissing her lips gently.

"Mmmhmm," she hummed. "In the meantime though, Detective Inspector Krauss from the Sussex Police called this afternoon and said that you were expected at ten tomorrow morning."

"Snooping 'round my mobile again, were you?" he growled, biting her earlobe as his hands wandered under the duvet and across the slope of her belly.

"Well I thought you said no cases this month…" she sighed.

"I have no recollection of saying that." He rolled over on top of her. She tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but evidently he was relishing his dominance tonight. He grabbed her hands, pinning them behind her head as he kissed her soundly and growled against her mouth. Molly lost herself when he was like this and was content to be his plaything. So far this month they had been making up for lost time, reconnecting as lovers, instead of just being parents and it was glorious. She couldn't complain too much about Sherlock taking a case. In the last few days, he'd slowed himself down and allowed Molly to explore his body and mind and soul in a way she hadn't since Scarlett was born. And he had done the same, coming up with new and interesting ways to pleasure her. "God, you really are a genius," had been uttered many times. When she was younger, Molly had always thought that marriage and children would be the death knell of intimacy. This week had proved her so terribly wrong that she was now embarrassed that she'd ever thought such a thing.

Suddenly a rapping at the door stopped them cold. "Bloody hell…" Sherlock growled. "What?" he shouted. Finn opened the door and started in dragging a sniffling Will behind him. "No. No no no…" Sherlock said with a heavy sigh of exasperation. "No. When someone asks you what, you don't just come in. You say, 'Daddy may we come in?'." He gestured for them to leave. "Try that again." He and Molly quickly threw their pajamas on as the boys walked out, closed the door and knocked again. "What is it?"

"Daddy, we're coming in," Finn shouted making Molly burst into laughter. He didn't wait for an invitation and barreled right on into the bedroom.

Molly had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the deadly serious expressions on her sons' faces. "So what's going on, jellybean?" she asked as Will immediately pulled away from his brother and threw himself into his mother's arms.

"He says there a monster in our closet," Finn explained.

"There is, Mummy! There is!" Will whined, hiding under his mother's arm.

"See."

Sherlock sighed and mumbled, "What the hell is my life coming to?" Molly smacked his arm. "Will, there's no such thing as monsters. Go to bed."

"Uh huh!"

"No, there isn't."

"Uh huh!"

"See!" Finn exclaimed. "He's keeping me awake."

Will scrambled up the side of the bed and across Molly's lap to dive into the space between his parents. "No monsters get me here. I sleep with you, Mummy."

"Don't be ridiculous, William," Sherlock said. "There's no such thing as monsters. I promise."

"But what if there are, Daddy?"

"There aren't. I can assure you."

It didn't matter if Will's argument was valid or not. His big green eyes and trembling chin had already won Molly over. She was snuggling the boy against her side and brushing his thick dark curls away from his brow and kissing him noisily. "You're all right, sweetie. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"What if there's a monster in your closet, Mummy?"

"Then Daddy will beat it down," she replied without missing a beat.

"Okay, Mummy," Will sighed, snuggling down under the covers.

Sherlock's expression fell. "Why don't you come up too, Finn. It'll just be a party," he grumbled sarcastically.

"Okay, Daddy," Finn replied, climbing up Sherlock's side of the bed and into his lap. Finn arranged the covers over them and grabbed his father's hand, curling his tiny fist around the thumb. "Can we watch telly too?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! But it's a bit longer, so I hope it was worth the wait. I had some people wondering if Sherlock and Gabriel were going to have "the talk." So this is my version of that. In their own, bumbling way...LOL Anyway, thanks for the reviews and suggestions! Love ya, kids!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

By the next morning, Sherlock and Molly were clinging to either side of their bed, Will and Finn were curled in tiny balls behind them and Scarlett was lying in the middle, completely flat, her head at the foot of the bed, with her arms and legs splayed over both brothers and both parents. Gabriel knocked lightly and crept in, peering around the room that was still dark in the pre-dawn hour. "Dad!" he whispered. Sherlock didn't wake but mumbled something incoherent into the pillow. Scarlett, on the other hand sat straight up. Her eyes were closed but her wild curly hair was practically standing on end. She'd evidently felt his footsteps on the floor. The girl might be deaf, but she could feel vibrations like nobody's business. No one would ever be able to sneak up on her.

"Who that?" she said at full volume.

Gabriel laughed and ruffled her hair so she'd turn to look at him. "Shush, Scarlett. It's me," he signed. "Go back to sleep."

"Why are you awake so early?" she asked, her signing sloppy so early in the morning.

"I was going to talk to Dad, nosy."

Before Gabriel could stop her she was shaking their father. "Daddy! Daddy wake up! Bre want you!"

Sherlock was startled awake, falling halfway off the bed and catching himself before he upset Finn. "Bloody hell…"

"Scarlett!" Gabriel scolded. "You weren't supposed to wake him up!"

She shrugged. "You weren't supposed to wake me up either."

Gabriel shook his head. "Sorry, Dad. I'll come back after I run."

"No. I'm getting up," he growled. Finn protested sleepily, clutching at his father's arm. Sherlock only got away because he shoved his pillow into Finn's arms. He got up and followed Gabriel out, stumbling over his feet. "I'll be right down," he said with a yawn. "Put the kettle on."

Gabriel went downstairs to obey but there was no need. Mrs. Hudson was already there watching the news and drinking her first cup of tea. "Good morning, Gabriel dear."

"Hi Nena," he said.

"Tea?"

"Yes please. Dad wants some too. Is there enough?"

Mrs. Hudson nodded and leaned in to pour the tea. Gabriel waved her away and was pouring two cups when Sherlock appeared on the stairs. Gabriel could tell that he was still asleep and after seeing the wreckage of his younger siblings, he knew why. He'd had to sleep in the bed with the twins and with Scarlett before. It was not easy or relaxing. Gabriel handed him a cup and continued out onto the patio. He didn't want to have this conversation in front of Mrs. Hudson.

Gabriel was surprised to see his father pull a cigarette from a pack hidden in one of the deep planters on the patio. "I thought you quit."

"I did. I have. Many times." He lit the cigarette and took a long draw, letting it out slowly and then hoisting himself up to sit on the railing around the patio. "So what's so bloody important that you had to wake me up when I'd finally gotten to sleep?"

"Sorry about that."

Sherlock waved off his apology. "So what's going on?"

"Well… about this… date… outing… whatever it is with Jessica and Katie tonight…"

"What of it?"

"I'm not sure what to do about it."

Sherlock laughed, choking on smoke. "And you're asking me?"

"Well yeah. You usually know the answers to my questions."

Sherlock finished his cigarette and began pacing about the patio, fingers steepled under his nose. He was obviously deep in thought and Gabriel was getting dizzy watching him. "You're sure you want to go on a date?"

"Well yeah…"

"Girls are generally more trouble than they're worth, you know. By the time I was your age I had already deleted most of what I knew about them. I had realized that they were bothersome and took up too much space."

"Too much space?"

"In my mind palace. I found myself thinking about girls while I was trying to think about other things. They cluttered up my head and blurred my focus."

"But… that's just not me, Dad. I mean, I want to be like you, but…"

Sherlock shook his head. "No. I want you to be your own person, Gabriel. I'd like to think I've helped you be your own person. So really, this conversation is moot."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if you've listened to me all these years, absorbed what I've said and synthesized it for yourself then you don't really need my advice. You'll make the right decisions on your own. You're fifteen, after all."

Gabriel smiled. "So what you're saying is: you trust me."

"Of course I do. But that doesn't mean I'm giving you permission to do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want? What do you mean by that?"

Sherlock cut a sideways glance. "I think you know exactly what I mean by that. And I think fair Jessica knows too."

Gabriel blushed from the top of his head clear down to the tips of his toes. "That's part of the problem. See, with Katie, she was always… I dunno… I mean, most of the time we act like friends. We talk and joke and just… have fun together. We kiss and stuff, but it just happens and then we go back to what we were doing. Jessica is just really…" He shook his head with a sigh. "I don't know what I'm talking about really."

"She's a girl that wants to date you. She's not interested in being your friend."

"Exactly! So what do I do?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Do you want to date her?"

"Yes."

"Then go out with her." Sherlock gave Gabriel that same look of amused derision that always made John want to slap him.

"But what if…" Gabriel looked over his shoulder to be sure no one was listening. "What if she wants me to kiss her?"

"What if she does?"

"Well… do I kiss her?"

Sherlock laughed and clapped Gabriel on the shoulder. "I think you're worrying too much. If the time is right to kiss her, you'll know. Just don't do anything you'll regret."

"Such as?"

Sherlock opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. He tried once more, but still no words would come. "Such as putting any of your parts into any of hers," he said finally.

Gabriel burst into peals of hysterical laughter. He wasn't sure if it was nervous laughter or genuine amusement, but he laughed long and loud. "My parts?" he finally spat, barely able to breathe.

"Yes. Your parts," Sherlock replied with an extremely serious expression. "Tongues, digits… other things…"

Gabriel blinked. "I have no idea what you're on about," he said after several seconds.

Sherlock sighed and began to pace. Gabriel could tell he was deep in thought as he steepled his fingertips under his nose and rubbed slowly up and down his chin. "Remember the first time we came here together?"

Gabriel nodded. "Of course. The first Christmas I lived at Baker Street."

"And do you remember the conversation during that visit after you spied on your mum in the bath?"

Gabriel blushed deeply. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I told you that there were some questions that I reserved the right not to answer until you were older. Well now you're older…" Sherlock sighed. Suddenly he didn't seem so sure of himself. In fact, he was looking around everywhere except at Gabriel. It was painfully obvious that he didn't want to have this conversation though he was determined to do it. "And while it isn't really my area, I'm thinking you have more questions and it's time I answered them. Before you get yourself in trouble. At least this way if you do, I'll know I've done all I could."

Gabriel shook his head, pushing his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture that was so Sherlock that his father nearly gasped at seeing it. "Really, Dad. You don't have to say anything. I'm not totally ignorant you know."

"Oh?"

"No. I mean… I have been dating Katie for a while now."

Sherlock narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He put his hands up as if to ward off Gabriel's words. "Wait… no. I don't think I want to know."

"Don't worry. We didn't have sex or anything—"

"Don't want to hear it…" Sherlock said, covering his ears.

"It's all strictly 'top half only'…"

"Still not listening…"

"Though I kind of think Katie wanted to. I mean, not that I _didn't_ but I thought you might be disappointed in me. Is that stupid? I mean, in the situation nobody would ever have known, but _I_ would, you know?"

Sherlock was about to protest further but stopped, obviously processing what Gabriel said. "Wait, you abstained from sex because you thought I'd be disappointed in you?"

"Well yeah. Jeez Dad, you say that like I never listen to you. Besides, you'd have eventually figured it out and Mum would have been able to sniff it out like Cat with an old bone. And she'd have slaughtered me for sure."

"Your _mum_ would have sniffed it out?"

Gabriel ignored him. "So what about Jessica? Do I go out on the date?"

It took Sherlock a moment to catch up. He was still reeling from the thought that Molly might be able to detect something he himself could not. Of course Molly possessed something that Sherlock never could: a mother's intuition. "Uhm… well… I guess there's no harm in going out with her," he said absently.

"And everybody keeps saying, 'no sex,' but my question is, when is it okay? Katie said that her mum said that you weren't supposed to have sex until you were married—"

Sherlock sighed. "Katie's parents are American, a culture known for its Puritanical ideals of morality and schitzophrenic repression of sexuality. But I think the answer that you're looking for is that you aren't ready for sex until you're prepared to accept the responsibility of it."

"What do you mean _responsibility_?"

"Any sexual act is going to raise the level of intimacy in your relationship. Things will become complicated no matter what anyone says. Girls, even sexually promiscuous girls, forge an emotional connection as a side effect of a physical connection. They may try to deny it, they may even actively ignore it, but it's there. Men, on the other hand, are pigs that can pretty much do it anywhere with anyone and feel very little remorse about it later."

"God, Dad…"

"Oh, am I shocking you?" Sherlock was starting to enjoy this now. "What I'm trying to explain is that the sexes are wired very differently and once you have intercourse—or any of the other associated acts, things will change. And then there are the more obvious issues: disease and pregnancy."

"Disease? Are you trying to scare me?"

"No, I just want you to be aware. Having sex is completely opening yourself to another person. That's why it's supposed to be reserved as an act of love and trust toward a particular person or persons?"

"Persons?"

"Well of course. You don't think everyone in the world is meant for monogamy do you?"

"Dad… this is totally way beyond what I was asking..."

"And Gabriel, you yourself are one of those responsibilities."

"What do you mean?"

"I had sex with Irene. We weren't married and had no intentions of having a relationship. We were alone in Italy completely fueled by the adrenaline of narrowly escaping a dangerous situation and a bottle of expensive red wine. Four times over the course of twelve hours and here you are, fifteen years later."

"Eeww… Dad really…"

"And at no time during that twelve hours did I even consider the possibility that we were creating a new little person. Or that the little person would completely fuck up my life for good." He smirked at Gabriel's offended face.

"Wow… thanks."

Sherlock laughed. "Do you remember your very first night at Baker Street?"

Gabriel nodded. "Sort of. I remember being scared to death of you. And something about eating baked apples."

"If you'll remember, I left abruptly and didn't come back for quite a while."

Gabriel scrunched his nose as if it might help jog his memory. "I do remember that. I thought you hated me."

"I was considering the weight of my responsibility. And giving myself the same talk I'm giving you. No one held a gun to my head and made me sleep with your biological mother. And once I did, it was up to me to accept my responsibility. Up until then, no one else had and you were slowly becoming lost. My own father was a great one for shirking responsibilities. At any rate, at fifteen you aren't capable of accepting that responsibility—financially, mentally or otherwise. So that's something to consider while on your date. Or any date."

Gabriel nodded. "Got it." He took Sherlock's hand as if to shake it and tried to pull off a cool 'bro hug.' He was thwarted by his father who pulled him into a full on embrace as if he might still be five years old. "Ugh… Dad…" Sherlock laughed maniacally before getting Gabe in a headlock and dragging him back into the lounge by his head. "One day I'm going to be bigger than you."

"You keep saying that." Sherlock released him with a vigorous head ruffle. "Wait right here, child thing." He ducked into his bedroom and reappeared seconds later with something in his hand. "Here. Take this."

"What is this?" Gabriel asked, taking the item and holding it up to read the packaging. "Trojan—"

"Shush!" Sherlock growled grabbing it back and shoving him aside to peer around the corner. "Don't read it out loud. Your mum would kill me if she knew I gave you that."

"Oh my God! Dad! This is a condom!"

"Sssshhhh!" Sherlock hissed.

Gabriel slapped his hand over his mouth quickly and then whispered, "I don't need this!"

"Just take it. Leave it in your wallet just in case. One more thing I learned from my Italian holiday with your biological mother. And you wouldn't have the luxury of being over thirty when your five year old comes knocking!"

"Oh… my God…" Gabriel hid his face, wanting to disappear into the floor before his father began explaining how to use it.

"Look, don't give me any shit, Gabe. Your mum freaks out, cries in the bathroom that you don't need her anymore and then tries to get pregnant again. I'm just giving you a condom and it makes me feel better. Just humor me."

Gabriel sighed and nodded. "Whatever, Dad…"

"And just because I gave that to you doesn't mean—"

"I know, I know. You don't approve of my being a sexually active teenager. Got it."

 **OoOoOo**

Gabriel stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, examining his face. He was trying to decide if he should start shaving. He'd noticed some spotty hairs on his cheek and upper lip, but so far they were really light. Nothing compared to the woodlands that had erupted on his legs. He even had a small patch in the center of his chest and under his navel, but his face was pretty bare. He was a little concerned about it. Of all the places he'd grown hair in the last few years, his face was the one he'd actually looked forward to. Not that he wanted a beard or anything, but just the act of shaving would make him feel grown up. And tonight he really wanted to feel grown up. He wasn't sure why. He hadn't been all that nervous since his talk with his father until he came upstairs to shower and talked to Katie. She'd been getting ready for an hour at that point and was wearing a gauzy sundress that showed off her blossoming figure. It had spaghetti straps and dipped low in the front. He wasn't sure he liked it.

 _"_ _You're wearing a dress?"_

 _Katie looked down at herself. "Good! Now what are these?" she asked sarcastically as she held up her shoes._

 _"_ _Ha ha. Very funny," Gabriel replied. "You don't have to get all dressed up you know. It's just a movie."_

 _Katie shook her head. "What are you wearing? Old ripped jeans and a t-shirt?"_

"No!" he'd exclaimed, though that was exactly what he'd been planning on wearing. After retreating back into his room, he'd gone through at least five different outfits looking for something that was casually aloof yet attractive. Finally he'd arrived at jeans and a shirt he'd stolen out of his father's wardrobe.

"Hey Gabe!" He turned to see Jada Watson standing in the doorway to the bathroom.

"Oh. Hey Jada!" What on Earth could she be doing in his bathroom? One of the nice things about having the smaller bedroom downstairs that had once been his father's was that it had its own bathroom that he didn't have to share with anyone. "What's up?"

"Your mum is giving the twins a bath in our bathroom and Izzy's in the other one. Can I use yours?"

"Uhm… sure. Just let me get my toothbrush so I can brush in the kitchen."

"You look pretty, Gabe. I mean… not pretty. Boys aren't pretty. You look handsome I guess." She gave an awkward smile and he could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"Thanks, Jada. I'm going to the cinema with my friend Jessica."

"Oh that sounds fun. I wish we could go too."

Gabriel smiled and patted Jada on the shoulder. "It's kind of a big person's thing this time. But I promise, I'll take you and Scarlett and Izzy to the cinema this week."

Jada shrugged. "They'll want to go see some stupid cartoon film. I like scary films."

Gabriel winked and leaned in conspiratorially. "Maybe me and you can go see something scary and send them with our parents and the twins."

Jada giggled. "You mean it?"

"Of course."

She threw herself against him and hugged him tight. "Thanks Gabriel!"

"Hey, you're my best girl right?"

Jada nodded emphatically and hugged him again.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So this chapter has it all! Sherlolly sexiness, teenager drama and mentions of John Watson in a coconut bra. I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except the children.**

By seven that evening, Ambergris was silent as the grave. Gabriel and Katie had walked out with their new friends, Mary and Mrs. Hudson took the girls for mermaid makeovers while John and the twins explored the aquarium. No one would be back until at least ten. Sherlock and Molly were taking full advantage to play in the ocean just the two of them.

"This is my favorite time of day," Molly sighed, flopping directly on the wet sand. "The sun's going down and the beach is nearly deserted." Looking back toward the house there was only one older couple and their dog taking a stroll. Most people had already retired to their homes and hotels to have dinner or take in some nighttime touristy stuff. Even the small planes and gliders that delighted Will so much when they flew overhead had knocked off for the day. "The perfect time to be alone. Even if you are wandering through your mind palace."

"I am not," Sherlock said, sitting down beside her and pushing his wet hair away from his brow. He reached over her for the bottle of beer they'd brought with them.

"Of course you are," Molly giggled. "Even swimming before I heard you say something about rate of decomposition in salt water."

"Hmm," Sherlock hummed as he took a long swallow. "I was probably just contemplating my own death in a watery grave when you dunked me trying to get away from that fish."

"That was not a fish!" Molly exclaimed, sitting up. "That was an enormous shark!"

"It wasn't a shark. It wasn't even enormous. A moderately sized bream is more like it."

She grabbed the bottle from him and took a sip. "Well let's see how you like it when it swims down your cozzy!"

Sherlock couldn't help laughing at Molly's annoyed expression. He often deliberately got on her nerves so that he could watch her nose wrinkle and her lips disappear. To his delight, Will and Finn had exactly the same expression when they were angry. "I promise, Mouse. If a fish swims down your cozzy, I'll go in after it."

"That's so comforting," she grumbled, bringing her knees under her chin and looking away from him.

"Oh don't be like that," he said, scooting closer to her on the sand. "I was only teasing you. And I promise. You have my undivided attention." He leaned in and kissed her cheeks and nose, still peppered with sand and drops of saltwater from their swim. They'd only been in Camber Sands for just under a week now and already Molly was sunkissed. Staring down at her auburn fire hair and big brown eyes Sherlock wondered how he'd ever existed without her. And the thought that he'd wasted so much time. "I'm sorry I never tell you, Molly," he murmured aloud.

"Tell me what?"

"That you're perfection."

Molly stared at him for several moments before putting a hand to his forehead. "Sherlock? Are you ill? Did you get stung by something out there?"

He chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

"You're usually only this squishy just before or right after sex."

"And your point is?" Before she could reply he was pulling her in for a kiss. As with all their kisses, it was never just a peck but a long and lingering embrace. The taste of her filling him up with an intoxication unlike anything he'd ever felt. Soon he was pushing her down in the sand and rolling on top of her. Her bikini-clad body was covered in sand and the rough texture against his own naked torso only added to the sensation.

"You're not playing fair," she whined, squirming beneath him to very little avail.

"Do I ever?"

She grinned and drew her fingertips along his spine and shoulders as he kissed the slope of her throat gently. One leg curled around his, leaving her open. Sherlock pressed his pelvis against hers and moving just slightly so she could feel how much he wanted her. Molly chewed on her lower lip, almost ready to surrender. But she couldn't let him win just yet. With a sneaky movement she'd learned from him, she used the leg curled around his for leverage and rolled him over, turning the tables and pinning him against the sand. "Neither do I."

"Look at you fighting dirty," he growled as she leaned over and bit down on his beaded nipple. "I taught you everything you know, naughty Mouse."

"You did such a good job," she replied. "So now you'll have to beg for mercy!"

"Never!" he growled playfully.

Leaning over, Molly licked his lips and kissed him over and over until he could barely breathe. "Then tell me you love me."

"I tell you I love you all the time, silly."

"No you don't! Unless we're in the throes of passion, you never tell me you love me. It always comes out all snarky and Sherlocky otherwise. So come on... tell me you love me." Sherlock reached back and caught the end of her ponytail, pulling it roughly until she turned, loosening her grip. Before she knew what was happening, they were rolling over and over in the sand until finally Sherlock landed on top of her. This time he sat up and pinned both arms back with his hands and kept his knees planted firmly on her thighs to keep her splayed and helpless beneath him. "Oww… Sherlock! That hurts!"

With a raised eyebrow, he cast his smoldering gaze down on her until she was practically shrinking under it. "You can't fool me, Mouse. We both know you like just a kiss of pain."

Molly smirked, still squirming albeit weakly. "Is this how you treated those Eastern European terrorists?"

"I was much meaner to them." He bent forward, kissing her again, this time more gently but stealing her breath just the same. "And Mouse… I do love you." When he pulled back he noticed a small company of teenagers walking down the beach slowly, watching them as they rollicked on the sand. "Perhaps we should finish our conversation inside."

"That sounds like a lovely idea, Mr. Holmes." He stood up and took her hand, pulling her up with him. Before she could start walking toward the house he swept her into his arms dramatically and carried her across the beach and over the dune. "Just don't impregnate me," she giggled.

"I promise nothing."

 **OoOoOo**

After the film, the foursome stopped for milkshakes at the café. A narrow boardwalk ran alongside a strip of shops and eventually led back down to the beach. Gabriel and Katie waved to a few of the kids there, recognizing them from summers past. "Wow, does everyone know you and Katie?"

"Pretty much," Gabriel replied. "My family owns our house and we come here a lot. Katie only comes in the summertime."

Jessica turned, looking back over her shoulder at where Katie and Mark were walking together. "So you guys have been friends for a long time?"

"Since we were five. I met her right after I moved in with my dad."

"Oh. So you used to live with your mum?"

"No. It's a long, really complicated story, but I didn't meet my biological mother until I was seven"

"Oh I see. And how did you meet Katie? She's American right? Seems kind of far away."

Gabriel laughed. "Her father's an airline pilot. But then her dad and stepmum got a divorce, but they stayed in London so they could still see her little brother and sister. Katie practically lived with us when they broke up."

"So she's really more like your sister, then?" Jessica seemed very curious about Gabriel and Katie's relationship. She'd watched the two of them like a hawk all night and it was actually starting to get on his nerves.

"Not really. I mean, have you met my sister? There's no one like Scarlett."

Jessica laughed. "That's true enough. I didn't think she was going to let you leave tonight." Earlier, Scarlett had been highly insulted that she wasn't allowed to go along. There was no tantrum, as she'd largely outgrown those, but she was obviously not happy and let this Jessica person know in no uncertain terms that she did not like her.

"You can't let Scarlett scare you. She's just possessive." Gabriel glanced behind and noticed that Katie and Mark were stopped in front of a small shop. Gabriel wasn't sure if he liked this guy. For one thing, at seventeen he was much older than Jessica had led them all to believe. For another, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes and hands off of Katie. Even now as he spied on them over his shoulder, Mark was holding Katie's hand. What was that about? He hardly knew Katie! Once or twice he'd even caught the guy trying to put his big meaty arm around her during the movie. Not that Katie seemed to mind all that much. She was giggling and batting her eyelashes that same way his mum did when she was trying to get something from his father. Flirting. She was flirting! How dare she!

"Gabriel? Are you all right?"

"What? Oh… yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about the movie."

Jessica giggled and looped her arm around his. "So distracted. It's like you aren't listening to me at all."

Suddenly Katie's laughter pierced the din of tourist noise. "You should get one too, Gabe!"

He whipped around, practically dragging Jessica over to where Katie and Mark stood. "What are you on about?"

"Mark's getting his ear pierced!" She pointed toward the shop. It was a body piercing and tattoo shop with loads of neon and loud music emanating from the door. "You should get one too, Gabriel!"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, obviously disbelieving of Mark's sudden decision to shove a steel post through his earlobe. "No thanks."

"Come on, Gabe," Jessica started. "It'll look sexy."

He laughed. "I have enough trouble with my mum letting me keep my hair long as it is. She's always nagging me to cut it off."

Mark snickered. "Oh I get it. You can't get your ear pierced because it might make your mummy mad." He laughed in such a way that made Gabriel want to kick him in the teeth and strangle him with his own stupid polo shirt. What's worse was that he could tell that Jessica was about to laugh too. Well, he couldn't allow this creepy little bastard to get the best of him. "Oh well. That's what you get for dating a fifteen year old kid, Jess."

Gabriel could feel the anger rising in him as he clenched his fists. He was clearly a head taller than this asshole and bigger for that matter. Jessica could evidently feel it too and placed a hand on his arm. "Oh don't mind Mark. He's always been a showoff."

Mark sighed. "Whatever. Suit yourself." He traipsed into the shop practically dragging Katie behind him. She offered an apologetic smile and waved.

"C'mon, Gabe," Jessica said, patting his arm. "We'll go to the beach while they're in there punching holes in themselves."

"No," Gabriel replied, shaking her hand away. "Let's do it."

 **OoOoOo**

Molly oozed down the stairs and flopped down on the couch beside Sherlock. She tucked her head into his shoulder and watched sleepily as he flipped through the channels on the television. "Boring… boring… boring… seen it… boring…" he murmured as he flipped.

"I'm never moving again," Molly sighed. "I'm just going to live here on the sofa forever."

"Oh?"

"Nope. Never. I can only hope that when our children return home, they're all so tired that they just go straight to their respective rooms and sleep til morning."

"That's never going to happen," Sherlock said. "I predict that Gabriel and Katie will come in arguing, Scarlett will have lost one of her hearing aids, the twins will have clonked one another unconscious and the Watson children will have overthrown the government and taken Mrs. Hudson and their parents prisoner."

Molly giggled. "That's a bit dramatic don't you think?"

"You have met them right?"

"You could let me dream for these last few precious moments before the hordes come back," she said as she slid her arm around his waist and snuggled in tightly. "Don't be so mean."

"I think I've been very nice to you tonight," Sherlock said. "Lest you forget the shower. The bed…the floor…over the footboard…"

"Aside from the carpet burns…"

As if on cue the beach side door swung open and Katie and Gabriel came through. To their surprise, the teenagers were pretty silent. They mumbled greetings and went into the kitchen to scavenge for food. They spoke to one another in hushed tones but at least they weren't arguing. Nor did they seem to be affectionate. Almost normal. After several minutes, Katie took a glass of ice water and started toward the patio.

"Did you have a nice time, Kate?" Molly asked.

"It was fun," she said. "The film was just so-so, but it was okay."

"What about you, Gabe?" Sherlock asked with a pointed look as the boy came around the bar with his own drink. "Did you have a nice time?"

Gabriel nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Did you have enough money?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Oh good," Molly began. "I was worried about that. Well I'm glad you both had fun."

"What movie did you see?" Sherlock continued. He leaned forward, nudging Molly aside. She noticed that his posture had changed from post-coital exhaustion to interrogation mode.

"The new Marvel thing," Katie replied. "Lots of explosions and guys beating the crap out of one another."

"Oh well that's the sort of movie Gabriel usually enjoys. Isn't that right? Wasn't that the problem with that last one you saw? The one with the magician bloke that was, and I quote 'too smart just to beat the hell out of people'?"

"Mmmhmm," Gabriel answered.

"Oh that one was my favorite," Katie babbled. "Smart guys are infinitely sexier."

"I agree," Molly piped up. "That was my favorite of the lot too," she sighed, squeezing Sherlock's arm affectionately. But he wasn't to be thwarted. He was focusing his deductive powers on Gabriel just now and the boy knew it.

"So what was this one about?" Sherlock pressed. His fingers were steepled under his chin and his icy stare was fixed on his son. Before Katie could reply for Gabriel, Sherlock qualified his question with, "Gabriel?"

"Not much," he mumbled. His back was to his father and his speech was suspiciously garbled. "The usual."

Before Sherlock could question him further, Scarlett, Jada and Isabel flew up the back stairs and into the lounge like a herd of very loud sheep. "Daddy-lock!" they exclaimed in unison, throwing themselves at Sherlock. Immediately they began talking all at once about their mermaid makeovers and showing off the jewels that the stylists had woven into their hair. Sherlock smiled and nodded in all the right places but kept one eye fixed on Gabriel. It didn't escape his notice that the boy looked visibly relieved.

"Oh darlings, you look just beautiful!" Molly exclaimed, kissing all of them in turn. "But where is everyone else?"

"Getting the twins," Izzy explained. "The fell asleep in the car so my daddy and mummy have to carry them."

"Oh no… I'll go help them," Molly said, kissing Izzy's forehead once more before she rose from the sofa. But it was too late, Mary and John emerged at the top of the stairs each with a sleepy twin on their hip. William was yawning and desperately trying to go back to sleep on John's shoulder but Finn began to whine as soon as he saw his mother. Before anyone could ask, Mrs. Hudson brought up the rear and Molly gasped at seeing her. The older woman had also been made over as a mermaid complete with a long blonde curly wig and bedazzled makeup. "Oh Martha," she giggled. "You're positively radiant!"

"I know, dear," she joked. "I might go round to the pub like this later," she said with a wink.

Mary let Finn down to rush Molly before he broke his back trying to get to her. "I'm afraid I couldn't convince John. They even had a coconut brassiere in his size but he refused."

"Haha," John said.

While the adults continued to chatter, the teenagers tried to slip unobtrusively out onto the patio. They didn't escape Sherlock's notice. There was something very strange going on and he was going to find out what.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm having so much fun with this! Hehe... I'm glad you all seem to like it too. This chapter has a really hilarious reveal in it, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks again for all the reviews and love! You all rock!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the children.**

"Don't get up again, Phineas!" Molly shouted. Upon their return from the aquarium the four year old had been practically unconscious. That is, until his parents put him to bed. At that point he was wide open. In the last two hours, Finn had wanted a cup of water, narrowly escaped the closet monster, needed the loo twice, needed just one more kiss from his mummy and forgotten to tell his daddy goodnight. She blew into the bedroom for the last time and threw herself down across the bed. "You're going to have to do something about him," she growled.

"Who?"

"Finn. He's driving me up the wall with this refusing to sleep in his own bed thing!"

"Ah," Sherlock replied, not really listening.

"Scarlett never did this. Did Gabriel?"

"Only if he was ill. It's just a phase. He'll get over it."

"Well I'm not putting him back to bed again. If he gets up, you're in charge!" Molly turned off the lamp and threw back the covers. She could see that Sherlock was still lying there motionless, his hands laced across his bare chest and his eyes wide open. Something was obviously bothering him. "You okay, love?"

"Gabriel got his tongue pierced."

Molly gasped and sat up. "What? Did he tell you that?"

"Of course he didn't tell me that. He didn't have to. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Not to me," Molly said. "What tipped you off?"

Sherlock gave a snort of derision. "Good lord. I wonder about you lot sometimes."

"Preferably without the air of superiority."

"He wouldn't look at us when they came back. He barely spoke and when he did he was mumbling. Not to mention that the café they went to after the cinema is on the boardwalk right down from a tattoo shop. Simple."

Molly's jaw dropped and she jerked the lamp on. "Oh my God! What are we going to do?"

Sherlock groaned and covered his eyes against the sudden bright light. "What do you mean, what are we going to do? It's done now."

"Oh Sherlock, make him take it out," Molly said. "Today he's piercing his tongue, next it'll be tattoos and cigarettes."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm not going to say a word about it just yet. Gabriel's the type of person that if you give him enough rope, he'll hang himself. Just wait. And besides, what's so bad about a piercing?"

Molly stared at him with an expression somewhere between anger and 'stop him before he kills again.' "Are you kidding?"

"No. It's a hole in his tongue. Who cares?"

"Gabriel is an intelligent, sweet and incredible looking boy! Not some grubby little street punk!"

"So you think that anyone with piercings is a grubby little street punk?"

"Well no… not exactly…"

"Don't forget, Mouse. I know where your secret tattoo is."

Molly smirked. "That's different. I did that for you."

"Well I'm sure Gabriel did it to show off for the two girls he was with."

Molly sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. No sleep would be happening for a while. "I can't believe you're not upset!"

"I can't believe you are. It's his body. As long as he's not hurting himself—"

"How can you say he's not hurting himself? It's a _hole_ through his tongue! I've seen kids in the morgue that had those things and their teeth looked terrible!"

"Well I would think that being dead probably compounded their flaws…"

"I'm being serious, Sherlock! They damage your teeth and they can get really infected! Not to mention that when he gets older—what employer wants to hire someone with a thumbtack in their tongue?"

Sherlock sat up, obviously getting angry now. "What employer would be looking? Besides, I think he has several years to outgrow it! Piercings aren't permanent, you know! And I doubt that Gabriel will seek employment someplace where expressing himself would be a problem!"

"So now he's expressing himself? Before you said he was trying to impress a girl!"

"Maybe. Look, I'm not saying that he should have done it but I fail to see why it's such a horrible thing to do!" Their voices were rising in volume and soon they'd be waking the whole house. "I had them myself!"

Molly started to retort but his words smacked her in the face and she didn't comprehend at first. "Wait. What?"

"I had a few piercings of my own once upon a time."

"You can't be serious…"

"See, you all think I was born old and serious. No one seems to remember that I spent a good part of my youth being a drug addict. A drug addict that was constantly looking for some way to distract myself that wasn't with drugs. You've seen the scars on the inside of my elbow and right thigh. I wasn't in an accident, Molly. I cut myself on purpose when I was Gabriel's age. A lot."

"Jesus, Sherlock. Why would you—"

"Because my brain was either racing or I was so bored that I wanted to throw myself off a bridge. Crazy as it sounds, it helped me focus. And yes, I was hurting myself and yes, I wish someone had stopped me. But obviously that's not what's happened with Gabriel. He's the most well-adjusted person I know. So no, I'm not particularly worried about a piercing in his tongue!"

Molly sighed and sat back against the pillows. "When did my sweet little Gabriel become a broody teenager?"

"It was inevitable. But he's not stupid and he's a good kid."

"So what do we do? Just not say anything?"

Sherlock grinned evilly. "Of course not. Just enjoy watching his slow torture while he tries to hide it from us. Trust me, it will be better than any punishment or guilt trip."

Molly smiled finally and slid closer, snuggling into Sherlock's side and laying her head on his chest. They lay in silence for several minutes before curiosity got the better of Molly. "So… where were you pierced? I never noticed any holes in your ears."

"I never pierced my ears."

"Tongue?"

"God no. That's just disgusting."

"So… where?"

"Places you'd never suspect."

"Oh?"

"Mmm. Definitely. I still had them when I met you."

Molly went silent again, rolling over and pulling the duvet over her shoulder. She tried to close her eyes and go to sleep, but finally the curiosity got the better of her. "Okay, Sherlock," she said, sitting up and throwing the duvet back. "Where the hell were you pierced?"

"I'm not sure that's any of your business."

"Really? I've had your penis in my mouth. I bore three of your large-headed children through my _vagina_. I think that entitles me to know everything about you. So cough it up, Sherly."

Sherlock smirked and shook his head. "One of my nipples and my cock, okay?"

Molly gasped. "Oh my God! You have to let me see!"

He laughed and batted at her hands that sought to pull the covers away. "No! There's nothing to see. The nipple totally healed after I took it out."

"But not your penis?"

"I don't know. Probably not but I haven't looked since I took it out." Molly only paused a second before diving under the sheets. Against his weak protests she managed to pull his pajama trousers over his hips and down until she could get to his cock. "Since you're down there," he joked.

"Oh my God, Sherlock!" she gasped. "There's a hole there!"

"Uhm… you're a doctor, Mouse. I assumed you knew there was one."

"No! I mean… another one… in not… the right spot."

"No shit…" His voice trailed off as he bit down on his lip. After all, she was manhandling him.

Molly was still reeling from this revelation. Sherlock had told her many things about his past, but this was the most shocking. If only because suddenly it was such a turn on. "Why did you take them out?"

"I grew up. And when Mycroft had me arrested and thrown in rehab, I decided to get rid of them."

"Wow. I am just… stunned. To think I had you on this pedestal…"

He rolled his eyes. "All right, Mouse. Let's not be rude."

"You should totally get it redone."

Sherlock stared down at her. "Why? So everyone will think I'm a grubby little street punk?"

Molly blushed. "It could be our little secret. Like the tiny little magnifying glass on my belly." She said belly, but it was situated just over the hood of her sex. "Does John know?" she giggled.

"No! And he better not unexplainably find out either."

 **OoOoOo**

"You have a piercing where?!" John Watson exclaimed as he burst through the bedroom door the next morning.

Gabriel cringed at the volume of John's voice. He couldn't say he was surprised to see the doctor. He should have known that Katie couldn't keep things to herself. When he woke up this morning and his tongue was still swollen three days after the piercing and he could barely talk, he'd asked Katie what he should do. She had immediately urged him to tell his father, but that was out of the question. "My tongue," Gabriel mumbled.

John sighed and shook his head. "Let me see it."

Gabriel obediently stuck his tongue out.

Katie, as in all stressful situations, was a mess. She'd been weeping ever since she told John what was going on. She had promised not to tell anyone that Gabe got his tongue pierced the other night, but after Googling what could happen to an untreated infection she got scared and told John. Gabriel's tongue was a red and purplish color and so swollen that one could barely see the small metal barbell. It was also so sore that he nearly cried out every time his teeth brushed against it. "Is it going to fall off?" Katie asked, sniffling.

John sighed once more. "Of course it's not going to fall off. But it is infected." He tipped Gabriel's head back so he could get a look at the damage under the light.

"What are you going to do?" Gabriel said, his speech comically garbled. "Take it out?"

"No, I'm afraid we can't take it out because of the swelling. Not yet anyway. We're going to clean it out as best we can and you, my good man get to rinse your mouth with saltwater." Katie, go and get some ice so we can reduce the swelling a little bit." She nodded and hurried down the hall.

"Are you going to tell my dad?" Gabriel asked.

"I think it's hilarious that you think he doesn't already know." John nudged him to sit down on the end of the bed. "But no. That's between you two."

"Thanks."

"So what possessed you to pierce your tongue?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I guess I wanted to impress Jessica. See, that guy that she set Katie up with—her cousin Mark—he's like seventeen. And we're walking down the boardwalk and he says he's going to get his ear pierced. Katie said I should do it too and I refused. But then Mark started teasing me about being scared and stuff, so I just went in and did it. I knew Dad would see the earring right away, so I thought if I got my tongue pierced…"

"Then no one would see it."

"Right."

"Well mate, it sounds like you were trying to impress Katie, not Jessica." Gabriel started to reply, but his mouth snapped shut as he considered this. He didn't have much time, as Katie came back with a cup of ice water.

"Sorry, your mom was in there so I had to get a glass of water."

"It's fine," John said. "Just go and pour the water out and bring a washcloth so we can wrap it up." She did as John instructed and they made an ice pack for Gabriel. "Now hold this on your tongue while I go and get my bag. I'll try to get the salt without anyone seeing me."

As soon as he was gone, Katie threw herself against Gabriel and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry, Gabe! I just got scared that something really bad would happen and I had to tell John! Please don't be mad at me!"

"I'm not mad," Gabriel said.

"Why did you let that guy pierce you in the first place? Even Mark pussed out!"

Gabriel shrugged. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Katie smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "We're still friends then?"

"Of course. It would take more than a fucked up tongue to keep us from being friends. That being said, I don't like your friend Mark."

Katie giggled. "Why not? He's pretty cute."

"He's pretty stupid," Gabriel replied, mimicking her voice. "And I don't like the way he looks at you."

"How is that?"

"Like you're something to eat."

Katie smiled. "Well you're going to be disappointed when we all go out again tonight."

"Assuming I'm not going to be grounded for the rest of the summer. And assuming that my tongue doesn't fall out."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this took a while. It's been a busy few days. This chapter was going to be longer, but it was getting unruly so I divided it into two parts. I hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all the reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except the children.**

As it turned out, Gabriel's tongue didn't fall out. Nor was he grounded. In fact, no one had said a word to him about his new adornment. Not. One. Word. It had been more than a week and still no one had so much as mentioned that he talked funny or that he was constantly in the bathroom gargling with saltwater or peroxide. He knew his dad knew. He could feel it, but Sherlock hadn't said a word about it. Gabriel had even gone so far as to ask John if his father had mentioned it to him, but nothing. It was unnerving. And that was probably the point. Ugh! They were always playing games like this with him!

"Relax, Gabe. He probably has no idea," Jessica cooed as they sat on the beach together. She threaded her fingertips through the ends of his hair, brushing it over his shoulder to lean her head against him.

Gabriel glanced sideways. He'd almost forgotten that Jessica hadn't known him for very long. "You don't know him."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not watch telly in Whitchurch? Or read the papers?"

She laughed. "Of course I do."

"My dad is Sherlock Holmes. He's the greatest detective in the world. A proper genius. He probably figured it out three minutes before I actually had it done." At the mere mention of the piercing Gabe ran the barbel over the back of his lip. It wasn't sore anymore and there was no more swelling, but it still felt a bit strange in his mouth. John had tried to convince him to take it out completely, but Gabriel stood firm. Once he made the decision to do something, he stuck to it. Taking it out would require admitting that he'd made a grievous mistake.

"Well I like it," Jessica said. "It's really sexy." She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his. Jessica immediately opened her mouth and pushed her tongue into Gabriel's forcefully. He was a bit taken aback by her assertiveness at first. Katie had always been so timid when they kissed, letting him lead and rarely initiating contact. But Jessica was definitely a girl who knew what she wanted. They had only been dating a little more than a week, but she was keen to make out. While he enjoyed her attentions, Gabriel was a little disturbed by them. The night before while sitting on the patio together, she'd taken his hand and placed it on her breast. It was true that he and Katie had been a bit touchy feely in their relationship, but Jessica was a relative stranger. He was just surprised that she was so… willing. "Hmmm…" she said, pulling back and nuzzling against his cheek. "I kind of like the way it feels on my tongue. Cold and smooth, but then it warms up. I like it."

"Then I'll keep it," Gabriel whispered.

 **OoOoOo**

Scarlett Holmes was in a foul mood. It wasn't an everyday occurrence. In fact, some might even call it rare. Scarlett was one of the happiest children one was ever likely to meet. She was friendly and usually polite. Her speech could be hard to understand at times, but she never got angry when someone asked her to repeat herself. And she was usually smiling and giggling, despite her volatile temper and willfulness. Not so today.

When Finn and Will wandered into the lounge sniffling, Molly assumed it was because she'd made them come inside for lunch and a nap during the hottest part of the day. She had already prepared her speech: you'll be hungry if you don't eat, you need to let your bodies cool down, and you're already yawning as it is. But the red handprint on Will's arm was a signal that this was not a normal twin-whine. "Mummy!" Finn cried.

"What is it, darling?" she asked. Will immediately climbed into her lap and began sobbing in earnest. She looked to Finn for an explanation.

"Scarlett hit Will!" he said, sniffling with his brother. When one twin cried, the other one almost always joined in.

"What?"

"Will needed the loo but Scarlett was in there. She wasn't doing anything but she wouldn't get out so Will could go. She said he'd have to go to the other toilet because she was busy. Will said he couldn't wait, but she still wouldn't move!" Finn loved telling the untold story. "So Will tried to go past her and she shoved him out of the loo and slapped him on the arm!" He then pointed to the angry red handprint on Will's arm.

"Scarlett's mean, Mummy!" Will whined.

Molly sighed and kissed Will's forehead gently. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Did you go to the loo?"

"No."

"Well just go up to my room and use mine. Finn, help your brother wash his face and then both of you go have a lie down for a bit."

"Mummy!" Finn started. "Why do we have to take a nap? Bre don't have to!"

"Or Jada and Izzy!" Will chimed in.

"All examples of people who aren't four. Now go on. I'm going to go deal with your sister and I'll come in to check on you in a little while." She watched the two boys race one another up the stairs before following up to the girls' room.

When she opened the door, Scarlett was sitting in the middle of the large bed reading a book. "Hello Mummy," she said without looking up.

"Hi. Where are Izzy and Jada?"

"Watching a film with their mum I think."

"Oh I see." Molly sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Scarlett pretend to read. She observed her carefully for a few minutes, knowing that she'd gain more information that way. A little tidbit she learned from Sherlock. The girl was sniffling, but not as if she had been crying. More like a runny nose. She also kept tugging on her left ear. Well that explained everything. Finally she grabbed the corner of Scarlett's book and pulled it away so that the child would look at her. "So tell me why you hit your brother."

Scarlett immediately began to rant about how Will and Finn were always bothering her. She enumerated many of the morning's offenses and went on to explain how they had made her miserable the entire time she was on the beach with them earlier. By the time she was through, she was whimpering and wiping tiny tears away. And pulling on her ear so hard that it was about to come off in her hand.

"Come here," Molly said with a sigh. Scarlett obeyed and curled up on her mother's lap. Molly pushed Scarlett's hair away and pulled her hearing aid out. "Mmmhmm…" she hummed to herself. Scarlett's ear canal was red and Molly could already feel that her temperature was elevated. "Does your ear hurt, Scarlett?" Scarlett hesitated and then nodded. "Just one or both?"

"Just the left one," she whined. Scarlett had been prone to ear infections since she was an infant. Her otologist thought that might be one of the reasons for her deafness. But when she got them they were always painful and seemingly neverending. Hopefully they caught this one in time. But it certainly accounted for her mood and behavior. When Scarlett didn't feel well, she was quick to anger and weepy.

"Come on. Let's go see if John can take a look at it and give you something. In the meantime, you need to apologize to your brother for slapping him."

Scarlett wailed. "But Mummy! He was getting on my nerves!"

"I don't care what he was doing, Scarlett Johanna! You don't hit people!"

This only made Scarlett cry harder. "I'm not sorry, Mummy! I'm not!"

"Well you have until your father gets back to muster up some remorse," Molly replied as calmly as she could. That was the biggest bullet in Molly's disciplinary gun: you just wait until your father gets home. And it worked like a charm with Scarlett. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of Sherlock's anger, more that she was afraid of disappointing him. "Let's go."

 **OoOoOo**

Katie was trying to read her book. She'd been sitting on the chaise for over an hour trying but only succeeded in reading the same paragraph over and over. She couldn't stop thinking about her situation with Mark. She'd never admit it, but the only reason she'd agreed to dating Mark in the first place was to make Gabriel jealous. For a while it seemed to be working, but now every time she looked up that whorebeast Jessica's tongue was in Gabriel's mouth. And he appeared to like it. She'd resolved to beat him at his own game and proceeded to throw herself at Mark. Admittedly, it wasn't that difficult. Mark was very attractive and he seemed to like her a lot. In fact, Katie could only think of one problem with Mark.

He wasn't Gabriel.

"Hey Katie!" The girl turned at hearing her name to find little Jada Watson coming out on the patio. "What are you doing?"

Katie smiled and put her book aside. "Just reading. It was too hot on the beach. And I got tired of—" She stopped short and smiled. "Anyway, I came in to rest for a bit. What about you?"

"My mum and dad made us come in for a while. Probably because Izzy and Scarlett were throwing sand at each other."

Katie giggled and made room for Jada on the chaise. "Those two love to fight more than eating ice cream."

Jada nodded. "Mum says that it's because they're just like my dad and Sherlock."

"That makes sense."

"Where's Gabriel?"

Katie shrugged and gestured toward the beach. "He's down there with Jessica. I guess that's where he is."

"Oh." Jada suddenly didn't seem so bubbly. The little girl was usually so agreeable and cheerful but at the mention of Gabriel and Jessica she deflated like an old balloon. "I don't think I like her."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I just don't." As if they'd been summoned, Gabriel and Jessica stomped up the stairs that led down to the beach. They were dripping wet and laughing as they ascended hand in hand.

"Oh hi, Katie!" Jessica chirped.

"Hey Jess."

"And who is this cutie-pie?" she asked, gesturing toward Jada. "You don't have more sisters do you, Gabe?"

"I'm not Gabriel's sister," Jada replied darkly.

"Nah. Jada's my very best girl," he said, pulling her into a big bear hug. "Much less trouble than a sister."

"Ugh, Gabriel! You're all wet."

"You're such a beast, Gabe. Getting her all wet like that! You should be ashamed," Jessica said with a teasing grin. She slid her arm around his waist and kissed his lips gently. He returned her kiss with enthusiasm until both were laughing. "Now apologize to the little girl."

Gabriel smirked and held his hand out to Jada as he bowed dramatically. "I'm sorry I got you all wet, Princess Jada. Please forgive me."

Jada's large almond-shaped eyes blinked slowly as she stared at them. It was as if she were trying to process the new person and her relationship to Gabriel. Suddenly it had dawned on her that this was Gabriel's girlfriend. And that she was not. And that Gabriel saw her as a little kid, not a contemporary. She didn't say a word but pushed past them and ran into the house, slamming the patio door behind her.

"What was that all about?" Gabriel said.

"You know, for someone who's genetically predisposed to being a genius… you can be stupid as hell, Gabriel Holmes!" Katie threw her book aside and went after Jada, leaving the couple reeling.

 **OoOoOo**

Despite all of Gabriel's pleas, Jada wouldn't speak to him for the rest of the day. It was confusing. What had he done that was so wrong? Katie had tried to explain to him that Jada liked him and that she was jealous of Jessica, but he still didn't get it. Jada was just a little kid. His baby sister's age. The thought that she wanted him to be her boyfriend was ludicrous. Maybe his father had been right all along. Girls of all ages should just be deleted out of his brain.

After his shower, Gabriel heard his father come in and decided he might need a little help. He'd like to get this cleared up before his date tonight. It wouldn't do for Jada to have a little kid freak out when Jessica came in. Katie had been acting weird all day too. Maybe it was just women in general.

When he arrived in the lounge, his father was sitting on the couch with Scarlett. She was sitting in his lap, playing with his fingertips as he read from her book. Her face was flushed and it was obvious that at some point she'd been crying. "What's up, Scarface?"

"Why are you being mean to Jada?" Scarlett asked.

"I'm not!" Gabriel sighed.

"I think I've missed something vital," Sherlock sighed.

"Jada likes Gabriel but he likes Jessica better!"

"Oh."

"Scarlett, it's not that I like Jess better than Jada. I just like Jess different than Jada. Jess is my girlfriend." His stomach fluttered. Jess was his girlfriend. "And Jada's just a kid."

She started to protest further, but Sherlock silenced her. "It's none of your business, Scarlett. So you need to just stay out of it." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest but said no more. "And while Jada's a kid, she doesn't quite understand. So you'll have to be patient."

" _You're_ telling me to be patient? _You_?"

"I know. Hard to believe isn't it? But I know a thing or two about hurting the feelings of one who loves you from afar. Words hurt. Sometimes more than fists, so choose them wisely."

Gabriel harrumphed and rolled his eyes. "You never worry about hurting people's feelings. You made some lady cry the day before we left for here!"

"Certain people I do!" Sherlock protested. "And that lady wouldn't have been crying if she hadn't been so stupid. She wasn't crying because I hurt her feelings. She was crying because she did something stupid and I caught her at it!"

"Whatever, Dad," Gabriel sighed.

"Look Gabriel," he started. "If it weren't for the absolute saintly patience of your mum and John, I'd be a bitter and lonely man with only my books and cases to keep me company. Once upon a time I thought that would be enough but now I know what a horrible error in judgment that was. But not everyone gets that lucky. The thousands of times I hurt your mum before I knew what I was doing very nearly condemned me to a most deserved fate. And don't forget, Gabriel. Jada won't always be ten."

"What are you talking about?"

"Right now Jada's ten and you're fifteen, which seems like an eternity between you. But when she's twenty and you're twenty-five, it won't seem so long." Gabriel started to reply but realized he was lost for words. As if he'd just considered the thought that he and Jada might both be older one day. That he might someday feel differently about their relationship.

Katie's footsteps on the stairs jerked him out of his reverie. She was already dressed for tonight's double with he and Jessica. She wore her hair down and her long beachy waves fell just perfectly over sunkissed shoulders left exposed by the wide neck of her Bohemian blouse. The short, frayed denim skirt stopped just above the middle of her thigh and Gabriel couldn't help but notice how long her legs were. Of course he couldn't say it, but tonight—Katie would put Jessica to shame. "Well, do I look all right?" she asked.

Scarlett leapt from her father's lap and ran to Katie. "You look so grown up!" she exclaimed.

Katie giggled and hugged her. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Sherlock asked. "It's likely to be chilly on the beach tonight."

"Sure," she replied. "Why not?"

"Your skirt is very…small."

Katie giggled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be all right." Gabriel couldn't help smiling. Though he would never say it, Katie had been a part of their family for so long that Sherlock felt quite paternal about her. Probably moreso than her own father who was rarely around. She started out onto the patio with Scarlett in tow. "Come on, let's go wait for Mark and Jess. You can keep me company, Scarlett."

"Wait," Sherlock said, stopping them. "No, Scarlett. You need to stay inside. You have a fever and infected ears."

"I feel fine, Daddy," Scarlett whined.

Gabriel followed Katie out before Scarlett could start wailing.

 **OoOoOo**

Since when did neighbors just pop over? Sherlock had asked this question of Molly, Mrs. Hudson, Mary and John at least three times each in the hour since the lady next door flagged Molly down on the beach. Apparently they owned the next cottage down and were so pleased that they'd finally caught the Holmeses in town. "I don't ever remember having neighbors," Sherlock complained as he watched Molly set places at the table on the patio.

She heaved an exasperated sigh and put the plates down a little harder than she normally would. "They just bought the place over the winter. They normally let the place out so this is the first time they've been here while we are. I've told you this story so many times…"

"You still haven't told me why they have to come over here for dinner." He was pouting. Funny how he looked almost exactly like Will when they told him he couldn't have cupcakes for breakfast. "Couldn't we have just exchanged hellos on the beach?"

"Because it's the nice thing to do, Sherlock!" she snapped. She whipped around to where he was brooding on the chaise. "Look, I'm not particularly excited about having unexpected dinner guests, but what could I do?" She brushed her fingertips through his hair and forced him back on the chaise until he was lying prone with her straddling his lap. She wore a simple, sleeveless mini-dress that slid up her thighs fetchingly as she kissed him. "Now be a good boy and play nice. Just for tonight."

Sherlock gripped her hips tightly, pressing her center against his. "And what sort of reward will I reap for my kindness to strangers?"

Leaning forward, Molly pressed her cheek against his whispering wetly into his ear. "Anything you want."

"Oh?" His laughter was a low rumble in his chest as he bit down on her shoulder. "That's a tall order, Mouse. Perhaps I'll have a surprise for you."

She giggled as his hand slid under the hem of her dress to boldly squeeze her bottom. "I'm not in the least bit afraid," she sighed. "Unless of course you want me to be."

"Hmm," he hummed, tangling his fingers into the thick curls at the back of her neck and pulled her in close for a kiss. "I do relish your sweet little whimpers." With another firm push, their bodies were grinding together. Sherlock drew soft moans from Molly with only a few careful applications of pressure. "Too bad you kept your knickers on."

"Stop it," she said. "They'll be here any second."

"I know," he said, cocking his eyebrow, his expression positively evil.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So I'm just an updating fool today! We'll get back to Christmas tomorrow, but I had this chapter halfway written. So here... I finished it just for you! Maybe it will keep you warm now that it's nearly wintertime. *blows kisses***

Sherlock sat very still between Molly and John. Perhaps if he was very still, no one would remember he was there and he wouldn't be forced into any more polite conversation. The "neighbors," Randal and Julia, were very bubbly and talkative. They asked Sherlock a billion questions about his cases, which ordinarily wouldn't have been tedious. He liked nothing more than to talk about himself, but their questions were primarily focused on the sordid details. Then they moved on to more boring topics like the cottage itself: why was the cottage named Ambergris, who built it, how long had it been here—information that he'd deleted a long time ago. "The place is beautiful, Mrs. Holmes. Did you do your own decorating?" Sherlock sighed heavily and received a kick under the table from John and Molly simultaneously.

"We've updated some things but it's really just a mash up. Shabby chic, as it were."

Mary smiled. "Molly has great style. Very kitschy without being ridiculous. And of course Sherlock has no style."

"Ha ha," Sherlock grumbled.

"Well I love how you have Victorian pieces mixed with the modern. It's just beautiful."

Before Molly could reply, Will and Finn wandered out on to the patio. They'd had dinner an hour before and were supposed to be tucked into bed already. Of course Molly had given Isabel and Jada a fiver a piece to watch telly in her and Sherlock's room and keep an eye on the twins. Evidently they'd given the girls the slip. "Daddy!" they shouted in unison, immediately attempting to climb their father like a tree.

"Who are these little ones?" Julia squealed.

"These are our twins, William and Phineas," Molly explained. "Who are supposed to be in bed. We also have an older boy, Gabriel and a daughter Scarlett that's in bed with an ear infection."

"Oh the poor dear. And on vacation."

"Yes, but we're used to them. She has them all the time. The doctor says it's mainly due to her hearing aids that she wears in both ears."

"Why are you here?" Sherlock asked as Finn threw his chubby arms around his neck.

"We're thirsty, Daddy," Finn said.

"And Izzy wouldn't get us any water," Will finished.

"That's because you're supposed to be sleeping."

"But I'm not tired," Finn sighed, already scrubbing his eyes against Sherlock's shoulder. "Can't we have a snack?"

"What adorable little boys!" Julia gushed, taking Will's hand and pulling him near. "Come let me see you." Molly and Sherlock glanced at one another with clenched jaws. While Scarlett never met a stranger, Will and Finn were funny with new people. Will might smile and climb in her lap or he might scream in her face, kick her in the shin and run away. There was just no way to predict. "Why I think he has the bluest eyes I've ever seen!"

"Who are you, lady?" Will questioned.

"My name is Julia."

"Oh. Okay," he said simply before turning to her husband. "Who are you?"

"I'm Randy," he chuckled and ruffled Will's hair. Big mistake. His ring caught on a lock of Will's hair and pulled lightly. Well one would have thought that he'd jerked the child baldheaded. Will let out a deafening screech that startled people down on the beach below. The poor man threw his hands up and looked helplessly at Sherlock. He stood up with Finn still clinging to his hip.

"Come on Will," he said, grabbing the child's hand. "This shouting really isn't necessary."

"Oh Sherlock, I'll get them," Molly started.

"No no," he replied over Will's wailing. "I'll get them tucked back into bed where they won't move again until morning," he said with a pointed stare at Will. As they went into the house, Molly could hear Finn still pleading for a cup of water.

"Why don't I go get another bottle of wine from the fridge," Molly said with a nervous chuckle. She started into the house, followed by Randy. "Oh, it's okay. I can manage," she said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Oh I don't mind helping." He leaned against the bar, watching as Molly peeled the foil away from the neck of the bottle.

"So how long have you and Julia owned the house?" Molly was desperately trying to make small talk. Something about Randy just didn't sit well with her. The way he looked at her was predatory, but not in that dangerously sexy way that Sherlock had. This was creepy. She tried not to let it show, but when he shook her hand or touched her shoulder tonight she almost cringed.

"We bought it several months ago, but we didn't come for a stay until the renovations were done." As he spoke, he walked up behind Molly slowly. As she struggled with the cork, he reached around her body to grasp the corkscrew. "There's a trick to it." He put his hands over hers and started to demonstrate how to work the cork out of the bottle. His breath was uncomfortably close to her neck and she felt his fingers in her hair.

"Uh… I'm sure I can get this," Molly stammered.

"You've a very beautiful woman, Molly."

"Uhm… thank you."

He had her trapped against the bar as he took the corkscrew and bottle from her. "Someone should be telling you that every day, you know," he said, brushing his fingertip along her cheek.

"My husband takes care of that," Molly said, flinching away from him. "But thank you for thinking of me."

Randy chuckled and slid an arm around her waist. "You're so shy, Molly. But there's no need to be so bashful with me. I could see how you were watching me at dinner."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Molly snapped, jerking away from him. "I'm a married…! And so are you! And no offense but you aren't exactly my type."

"We shouldn't let that stop us," he said, grabbing her wrist to pull her close again. "Besides, I think my wife would be very pleased to entertain Sherlock." His alcoholic breath was in her face, overwhelming her.

"Sherlock's not very easily entertained," she said, pulling back as far as she could from him with the bar blocking her escape.

"She's pretty creative. As am I." He leaned in and tried to kiss her. Immediately Molly's instincts took over and before she could think too hard about it, she'd reared back and punched Randy square in the nose. Blood spewed forth in a magnificent plume and he cried out in pain. He grabbed his broken nose and Molly used the opportunity to shove him backwards. He stumbled over the stool behind them and sat down hard on the floor. "Jesus! You broke my nose, you bitch!"

"You're lucky I didn't break more than that!" Molly growled, grabbing the wine bottle and brandishing it in front of her. "Get out of my house! Quickly before I call my husband who is considerably more vicious and violent than I am!"

"Look… I think we just had a misunderstanding…" he stammered, crawling backwards and trying to get to his feet.

"You're right. You obviously misunderstood me when I asked you nicely to get out of my house." She lunged at him again and he scrambled to his feet. Molly followed him out to the porch. Sherlock and Julia were making awkward small talk when Randy burst through the door with Molly hot on his heels.

"Oh Molly! Randy! We were about to come looking for you…" Julia froze when she noticed that her husband was holding a bloody nose and being ushered to the stairs by Molly. "What's going on?"

"Your husband was just leaving," Molly said through clenched teeth. "You might want to go with him. He's injured."

"My God! What happened?"

"Feel free to ask him," Molly said, handing over Julia's jacket. She looked at Molly strangely and there must have been a fire in her eyes that let the woman know she needed to vacate the premises immediately. She stood at the top of the steps and watched them both stumble down the stairs. When they reached the beach below, Molly delighted in hearing Julia shriek as she realized that her husband's nose was still pouring blood.

"What the hell was that about?" Sherlock asked. For once he looked completely bewildered.

"Some people never learn to keep their hands to themselves."

 **OoOoOo**

"He's an hour later than he was supposed to be," Molly observed. She'd been watching the clock religiously and giving Sherlock updates on Gabriel's tardiness every couple of minutes. While he shared her worried sentiment, the pacing and jabbering was slowly driving him mad. "What is going on with him lately, Sherlock? He never used to act this way."

Sherlock sighed and turned the page of the file in front of him. "He's a teenaged boy. Just calm down…" He glanced at her, his mouth turned up slightly at the corner. "…Jane Wayne." He was of course referring to her earlier incident of taking out the garbage. On the one hand he was irritated that he hadn't been allowed to flatten the man who dared to lay hands on his Mouse. On the other, he was amused to no end that Molly had taken matters into her own hands and bloodied the man's nose before he got the chance.

"Oh stop," she chuckled, snuggling closer to him on the sofa. "I shouldn't have done it. Resorting to violence is not something I aspire to."

"You probably saved him from a much worse fate," Sherlock replied, giving her a pointed stare and then winking playfully. "I'd most likely have bloodied a lot more than his nose."

"Rawrr," she teased, biting his earlobe playfully. "Maybe next time I'll just let you beat him up just so I can watch."

"Kinky."

Before Molly could reply, there was a great rumbling on the stairs out front and seconds later, Katie Adams, Jessica and Gabriel were stumbling through the door. The two girls were holding Gabriel upright as he tried to pull away from them. His hair was disheveled, his lip was bleeding, and his eye was visibly bruised. His knuckles were cut and bleeding. He finally shoved away from the two girls and stormed into the kitchen to spit blood in the sink.

"What in hell happened to you?" Sherlock asked, disentangling himself from Molly to corner Gabriel in the kitchen.

"It's nothing," Gabe said, trying to look nonchalant as he poured himself a glass of filtered water and swished it around in his mouth.

Molly went into full-fledged mummy-mode as she fluttered around him. "Nothing? Gabriel, you're bleeding!"

Katie chuckled, following into the kitchen. "You should have seen the other guy, Doctor Molly."

"Who are you fighting with?" Molly questioned as she brushed Gabriel's hair away from his eye to examine the wound. "And why are you late? It's after eleven. By a considerable margin."

Sherlock sighed and waved her away from the boy. "Obviously he was fighting with Katie's escort for the evening as he did not come back with them. And he's late because he was too busy fighting on the beach, am I wrong?"

"How'd you know it was on the beach?" Gabriel asked.

"You have sand in your hair."

"Don't be angry with him, Mr. Holmes," Katie said. "He was defending me."

"Oh?"

"Shush, Katie…" Gabriel hissed.

"So we were walking on the beach and Gabe and Jess were a little ways away from me and Mark. Some other kids had built a bonfire up the beach and they invited us to hang out with them for a while. So we did and everything was cool. But then Mark wanted to walk out to the pier, so we did. We were sitting there just talking and all of a sudden Mark was trying to kiss me. I didn't mind at first, but…"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed and Sherlock could tell he was getting pissed off all over again just hearing the story. "Dad, he started pawing at Katie and she told him to stop but he wouldn't. She screamed, so I went down there and…made him stop."

"It was pretty heroic, Mr. Holmes," Jessica said. This was the first time she'd uttered a word since they walked in. "Even if Mark is my cousin, he was way over the line." She turned to Katie and draped an arm over her shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Kate. I didn't know he was such an arse with girls."

"It's okay," Katie said with a shrug. "It's over."

"Sherlock, do you think maybe we should say something to Jessica's parents? Isn't Mark staying with you?"

Jessica nodded.

"No, really," Katie said. "Don't make a big deal about it."

"Trust me, Mum. He's not going to bother her again." Sherlock couldn't be sure, but he thought Gabriel was smiling. He recognized his own arrogance and while it wasn't the most positive trait, at least Gabe's heart was in the right place.

Molly sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, obviously exasperated by the situation. "Come on, Gabe. I'll clean your face and hands up."

"I can do it."

"Please… let me be Mummy-bear for a bit. It will keep me from losing my mind." As she steered Gabriel up the stairs, Sherlock could still hear Gabriel protesting her fretting.

"Well… I'll just be leaving then," Jessica stammered, shrinking under the icy stare of Sherlock Holmes. "Again, Kate… I'm really sorry. I hope we can still be friends."

"Of course we can!" Katie said, embracing the other girl. "It wasn't your fault."

"Feels like it," Jess replied. "Anyway, just so you know… Gabe loves you a lot."

Jessica started to go toward the patio door that would lead out onto the beach. Sherlock rushed past Katie and followed her out to the patio. "Jessica! Come on. It isn't safe for you to walk down the beach alone at this hour. I'll take you home."

"It's really all right, Mr. Holmes. I walk this way all the time."

"Still, I'd feel better driving you. Come on. It's no trouble."

After a completely silent drive, Sherlock pulled up at Jessica's tiny cottage on the beach. This tiny little place could fit inside Ambergris at least four times. She turned to him, but he was already out the door and going toward the house.

"Mr. Holmes, really… you don't have to walk me up to the door," Jessica said, sprinting around the car. She moved to unlock the front door, but before she could slip the key into the lock, the door opened and her cousin Mark was standing there. Katie had been right. The kid did look worse than Gabriel. He had two black eyes, a split lip and his nose was still oozing blood.

"Hey, Jess! Thank God you're back. I need you to convince Katie…"

"Convince Katie of what?" Sherlock asked, stepping out of the shadows. The boy gasped when Sherlock reached out and grabbed him by his injured face. He steered him through the door and into the house, walking the kid backward until he was able to pin him to the wall. "What the fuck, man?"

"Mr. Holmes…" Jess whimpered. "Please don't hurt him!"

"I'm not going to hurt him," Sherlock said calmly. "I just wanted to have a conversation with him. That while Miss Adams is not my daughter, that I care for her as if she were my own child. That if he even speaks to Miss Adams again, I can't be responsible for his safety. And that should he attempt to touch her again I can arrange for his immediate incarceration from which he won't emerge until after his thirtieth birthday."

"Look… Mr. Holmes…" Mark started as Sherlock's grip on his face tightened, drawing a whimper from him.

"Do we understand one another?" He moved Mark's head back and forth in agreement. "Good." Sherlock let him go and stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

 **OoOoOo**

The house was quiet save for the rushing of the waves against the beach. Gabriel sat on his bed, still awake and reading after everyone else had gone to sleep. He looked down at the novel glowing on his tablet and set it aside. He wasn't really concentrating on the story. He was too busy thinking about all that had happened.

While sitting around that bonfire earlier, when Katie and Mark had gone on their fateful walk, Jessica had been all over him. They had kissed in a way that he had never kissed anyone before. It was intense and suffocating. He'd liked it very much and his body had responded in kind. She'd whispered all sorts of things in his ear, promises and propositions. She'd touched him in a very intimate way and he'd liked it. He'd kissed her back and let her put his hands on her. Everywhere. Even those warm, swampy places that he'd only heard about. The fire, the wild ocean, and the storm out over the sea had echoed his own roiling emotions.

But when he'd heard Katie scream… Very clearly she'd screamed "Gabriel" and suddenly it didn't matter if Jessica was writhing on him completely naked. His Katie was in trouble and he couldn't let anything happen to her.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I can't resist teenaged angst. I'm not sure why I find it so hilariously funny for Gabriel to be fifteen, but I do. And you get to reap the benefits. I also enjoy writing about the summer when it's really cold outside. So here goes...**

 **OoOoOo**

The last week of their holiday rushed upon them before they were even aware of it. Just a few days before it had seemed like the summer would go on forever, but no more. Now the reality of having to go back to London, back to cases, back to school, and back to normalcy was beginning to crash down. Even Sherlock had a touch of depression on that last weekend. Though he'd never admit it in a million years, he'd been enjoying this time reconnecting with Molly and playing with their children.

"Poor darling," Molly said as she crawled into bed beside him. "It isn't so bad. We still have a whole week."

"What are you talking about?" Sherlock grumbled. His fingertips were working furiously over his phone. He'd been obviously peevish all night.

"You've been moping around here all night. Ever since Katie mentioned that next week this time we'd be packing up the house."

"Hmm," Sherlock replied without looking up. If he'd looked her in the eye, she would know she was right. "You shouldn't attempt to deduce me, Mouse. You'll only embarrass yourself."

"Oh please," she said, stifling a giggle. "You might have powerful skills of deduction, but I've known you for a very long time." She climbed astride his lap and took his mobile. He heaved a sigh of exasperation, but was quickly appeased with a soft kiss. She'd just emerged from a bath and smelled positively divine. He was about to forget all about being depressed when he felt tiny eyes peering at him from across the room.

"Will, Finn… Izzy. What are you doing up?" he asked, peering past Molly as the twins ambled into the bedroom.

"Are my mummy and daddy home yet?" Isabel sniffled. John and Mary had taken off on a dinner cruise earlier in the evening and weren't expected home until very late.

"Not yet, precious," Molly said, shifting in the bed and settling down. Now Izzy began to cry in earnest. Large, goopy tears ran over rosy cheeks and her nose was running profusely.

"It's okay, Izzy," Finn said, patting her hand. "My mummy and daddy will fix it." All three children wandered over with Finn holding her hand tightly. "Izzy sick, Mummy," he added when they reached Molly's side of the bed.

"Oh no," she cooed, pulling Isabel up on the bed. The child's face was flushed with fever and they could feel the heat radiating off of her little body. Sherlock said a silent prayer that whatever this virus was, it hadn't been passed to Scarlett. She'd just gotten over her ear infection after two rounds of antibiotics. "She's burning up," she whispered to Sherlock.

"I threw up, Auntie," Izzy whined.

"Are you all right, darling?" Izzy nodded and laid her head on Molly's shoulder.

"I help Izzy, Mummy," Finn said. It was obvious that he suddenly wasn't so sure that he wanted to share his mother and father with a sick Isabel. "She threw up in her bed and Scarlett and Jada didn't even wake up."

"You threw up in your bed?" Molly gasped, staring down at Izzy.

She nodded and began to sob again. "I'm sorry, Auntie!"

Molly squeezed the little girl, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she glanced at Sherlock. "It's all right, darling. We'll get it cleaned up." The look in her eyes said that by _we_ , what she really meant was Sherlock.

"Auntie," Izzy whimpered. "I think I'm going to be sick again." Molly leapt into action, steering the little girl toward the bathroom with an exasperated glance toward Sherlock. He evidently wasn't moving fast enough in his wife's considered opinion.

With a sigh he threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. "Come on Shaggy and Scooby," he said, offering hands to Will and Finn.

"Can't we sleep in here?" Will said with a yawn. "I too sleepy."

"I don't think you're too sleepy to walk down the stairs," Sherlock chuckled. Will shook his head sadly and reached to be picked up. Sherlock obliged and Finn grabbed the tail of his teeshirt and followed them down the hallway. "So Finn, how is it that you and your brother happened upon a sick Isabel?" This was a question that had been puzzling him from the moment they barged in. They had been sharing a room with Mrs. Hudson but with all the illness going around with the children, Molly had insisted that the boys stay with Gabriel for a few days in order avoid infecting their Nena. Gabriel's room being downstairs and the girls being upstairs, it seemed unusual that the twins would be upstairs where Jada was sick. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping in Gabriel's room?"

"We sleepin' in Nena's room," Finn replied.

"Why?"

"Bre's room is too crowded."

"What do you mean Gabriel's room is too crowded? He's the only person in it!"

Finn shook his head. "Katie's sleeping in there too."

 **OoOoOo**

The ocean was beating against the rocks underneath the house, lulling Gabriel and Katie into a light slumber. They lay side by side on Gabriel's bed, staring up at the ceiling, their fingers entwined. "Gabe?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Do you think you'll ever see Jess again?"

He shrugged and pushed his hair away from his brow. It was tickling his bare shoulder and getting on his nerves. "Probably not. I mean, she gave me her email and mobile number, but I doubt we'll ever get together."

"Why not?"

"She lives in Whitchurch. Three and a half hours away."

"But there's skype and the internet," Katie argued. "You could make it work, I guess."

Gabriel shrugged. "Maybe. But we agreed that we weren't going to keep each other tied down. She's not my girlfriend or anything. Anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not sad about it or anything." It was true. While he'd been very enamored of Jess, he'd realized the night of his fight with Mark that his affection for her was mostly fueled by hormones. "She's a nice girl, but… not really my type."

It was dark but Gabriel could tell that Katie was smiling. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we didn't really have anything in common. She wasn't interested in the same stuff that we… I mean, _I_ am. She hasn't seen any of the same films or read any books. Like, any. She didn't even know that Harry Potter was a book before it was a film, for God's sake. I tried to tell her about some of my dad's cases and at first she was really interested, but she just didn't get it. Any of it. The last couple of times we went out, I would kiss her just so we didn't have to talk anymore."

Katie giggled. "Maybe you expect too much, Gabe."

"Maybe."

"But she was really pretty."

Gabriel sighed. "I guess. But pretty is relative and you can only look at somebody for so long before you get bored and want to actually talk to them. Take, for instance, me and you."

"What about us?"

"Well we've been friends for ages—ten years now—and we never run out of things to talk about. We like all the same stuff. You're actually smart—even my dad thinks so and he thinks almost everyone is an idiot." He paused and rolled over on his side to look at her. The moonlight streaming through the window highlighted her rounded features and she looked positively angelic. Even in her shorts and cami pajamas that don't match with her red hair in a tangle and no makeup—Katie was radiant. "And you're so much more beautiful, Katie. Don't be a stupid girl and think that you have to compete with girls like Jess. Or any girl."

Even in the dark, Gabriel could see the flush in her cheeks. "You're too sweet, Gabe. One of the reasons I love you so much. Even when you're a douchebag."

"Sorry about that," he chuckled.

"It's okay. I've been kind of a bitch myself the last month. Like when I told you that I'd kissed Archie before we came here. I was lying. I haven't kissed Archie in at least a year. Or anybody else. Except Mark, of course."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I always wanted to kiss you instead." She bit down on her lip as if she might take back her bold words. She almost looked startled. "Sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry, Katie. I'm the one that should be saying sorry." He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "I've been really stupid this summer."

"Yeah. You have." She smiled and before he could stop himself, he was kissing her lips. In his head he could see his father rolling his eyes. He was being sucked in again, but this time Gabriel didn't care. His option exploration this summer had taught him one thing: he was supposed to be with Katie.

Katie was hesitant at first but when he slid his arm around her waist, she snuggled in against him tightly. Her body was so warm. And soft. Jess hadn't been soft. Every bit of her had been lean and angular, but at fifteen Katie was already curvaceous. She always complained that she was fat, but Gabriel thought her body was perfect in every way and wanted to feel every bit of it.

"So… are we like… getting back together?" Katie asked when he pulled back.

"Do you want to?"

She nodded and blushed again. "Do you?"

"Yes."

Katie giggled and let him kiss her again. He squeezed her tight, sliding his hand down to the curve of her backside possessively. "Only on one condition," she said.

"Anything you want," he whispered.

"That we'll always be friends. Even if… even if we break up again. Promise me that we'll always be friends, Gabriel." Something in her eyes told him that this was their last chance. He'd better not waste it.

"Always. Til we're both ninety-four."

She scrunched up her nose. "Why ninety-four?"

"No idea."

She giggled and tucked her head under his chin. "Maybe we'll end up like your dad and John. We'll go on vacations together with our spouses and all our children."

"Or maybe we'll end up like my mum and dad. Married with too many children. You never know."

"True." She pulled back and glared at him. "You aren't going to be a detective are you?"

"God no."

"Good. I'd worry about people shooting you. Though… I don't think your dad's really a detective."

"What do you mean? Of course he is."

"Well yeah, he sort of is. I mean… he is but I think he must be like a secret agent too."

"What?" Gabriel laughed and shook his head. "Like James Bond or something?"

"Absolutely."

"James Bond would never wear that hat." They burst into laughter, trying desperately to keep quiet. Gabriel knew full well that if his parents caught Katie laying in his bed with him at two in the morning that they'd freak out completely. Even though they were on top of the covers. He was shirtless, but wearing his threadbare sleep trousers and Katie was in her usual knit camisole and shorts, but his mum would react as if they were both naked. Despite the fact that they had lain on the couch together watching telly in their swimsuits over the summer. And in plain sight of all the adults.

Katie went silent and after several minutes, Gabriel thought she was asleep. Her breath was even and soft against his shoulder. Her hair smelled like lavender and the ocean. It was a lovely scent that was distinctly Katie and he inhaled deeply, taking it into himself and holding it for as long as possible. His heart thumped hard in his chest, but he didn't feel anxious. Being with Katie was comfortable. It was nice not having to talk or being expected to constantly be engaged in physical affection. While he'd enjoyed Jessica's eager kisses and bold touches, Gabriel had just enough of his father in him to not want to be touched all the time.

When she spoke again, she startled him. "Gabe? Are you still awake?"

"Yep," he said with a sleepy yawn.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I want to have sex with you."

Gabriel gasped, sitting straight up. Had she really said what he thought she said? "Excuse me?"

She giggled. "Not now, silly. You don't have to look so scared."

"Uhm… okay." She pulled at his arm, coaxing him back down to the bed. "What… I mean… why?"

"Just calm down. You're sweating!"

"I am not!"

She smiled. "Look, I don't mean right now. Or even anytime soon. I'm not ready for that, but… I just wanted you to know that… I want you to be my first."

"Your first what?" Gabe's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets and roll across the floor.

"My first lover, idiot. Sheesh… I thought you were supposed to be like, half-genius or something."

"But… why me?"

Katie sighed and sat up on her elbow, looking down at him. Her fingertips lightly traced the sharp angle of his cheekbone and the delicate curve of his brow. "Because I trust you, Gabe. More than anybody else in the whole world. I know you would never let anything bad happen to me. You'll take care of me. And I love you. Are those good enough reasons?"

"Uhm… yeah. I guess so."

She groaned and turned away from him, throwing herself down on the bed and punching the pillow. "Nevermind. I shouldn't have said anything."

Oops. His shock had hurt her feelings. What to do now? "Katie, don't be upset," he croaked, touching her arm and nudging her to turn and face him. "Of course I love you. Of course I want to… you know… have sex with you. You just took me by surprise, that's all. But… I mean… we're just fifteen…"

"You'll be sixteen next month."

"Yeah, but still. I just… I'm not really ready for that kind of thing."

"Me either! I just said I wasn't, remember?"

He realized he wasn't getting anywhere quickly. So he did the first thing that popped into his head and kissed her soundly on the mouth. It was a more polite way of telling her to shut up. He'd seen his father use it on his mum a lot. "Okay," he whispered, tapping the barbell in his tongue against her lip playfully when he pulled back.

"Okay what?"

"I…" He didn't get a chance to finish because the blinding light from the hallway as the door was opened cut the room in two.

Sherlock's head peeked around the doorframe. "Well… you two have some explaining to do."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So I had some writers' block. But here you are with something new!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except Gabe and Katie.**

"Dad… I can explain," Gabriel stammered as he tried to get up from the bed. The jostling thwarted him twice but he finally managed it. Katie was practically paralyzed beside him, gripping his pillow and holding it in front of herself.

"I'm sure you can," Sherlock sighed. He turned his narrow gaze on Katie. "Go up to bed, Katie." She looked from Sherlock to Gabriel and back again before sliding out of the bed, still clutching Gabe's pillow.

As soon as Katie was gone, Gabriel began defensively explaining. "We weren't doing anything! Katie just couldn't sleep because Scarlett was talking in her sleep and she left one of her hearing aids in and it was whistling but Katie couldn't take it out because it was the ear Scarlett was sleeping on. So she came down here. She was going to get my extra blanket and sleep on the couch but we ended up talking." Sherlock stood in the doorway silently. "Honestly, Dad! Nothing happened!"

"Fine."

"We kissed but that was all!"

"I believe you."

"I was just…" He paused and his breath caught in his throat, choking him. "You do?"

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? You aren't in the habit of lying to me…"

"Well no…"

"Except of course about the stud through your tongue." Gabriel gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth. Obviously he had assumed that his father didn't know about the piercing. "And your 'perfectly innocent' dates with Jessica."

"They _were_ innocent!"

Sherlock chuckled. "Oh please. The girl's neck looked like the surface of Mars despite her attempts to hide it." Before he turned on the lamp by the bed, he could tell that Gabriel's face was glowing. "Look, I'm not going to say a word. You're supposed to be smart enough to take care of yourself in that respect. Though I will remind you that engaging in underage coitus in your parents' house when they've specifically told you that they don't approve goes a bit beyond just disobeying their wishes."

"Not that I have been, but what do you mean?"

"Because right now, we trust you. You've always been truthful about the things that matter and so therefore we trust you to do the right thing. But if you start lying, that's blatant disrespect and I won't trust you anymore. And I won't tolerate it, Gabriel."

"I'm not lying!"

"I didn't say you were. But you're awfully defensive."

"Because you're doing that thing!"

"What thing?"

"That thing you do to your clients! You talk them 'round until they finally let something slip!"

"I couldn't do that if there wasn't anything to slip."

Gabriel huffed and threw himself backward on his bed, pulling the covers up to his chin forcefully. "You're just suspicious of everyone. And Mum treats me like I might be Will or Finn! It's not fair!"

"The only one who's getting upset is you, Gabe."

"Until you tell Mum…"

"I didn't say a word about telling her anything! You're pissed off because you got caught doing something you knew you weren't supposed to. Regardless of any sexual contact, you've been told over and over that you aren't to have Katie in your bedroom late at night! Or any other girl for that matter!"

"Scarlett comes in here all the time."

"That's different and you know it."

"I'm just trying to settle on an agreed upon vernacular."

Sherlock turned away, clutching his fists into hard knots at his side. He wanted to slap him. Gabriel's reasoning was purposefully obtuse and so mirrored his own defense mechanisms that Sherlock found himself near rage with his child. It didn't happen often but when it did, it was best he just walk away. No one wanted a scene like their first fight at Ambergris. Sherlock knew he tended to say and do things he didn't mean when he was angry. "Just go to sleep," he said, stalking out of the room.

 **OoOoOo**

"I'm just not ready for it," Sherlock grumbled as he drew another card. He'd been so irritable during their game that Molly had finally thrown down her hand in favor of bathing the twins. "Gabriel simply cannot be sixteen. All evidence points to him getting worse, not better." Father and son had been fighting for the majority of their last week of vacation and John was ready to explode on them both. "One of us isn't going to make it until he goes to university."

"I don't know why you'd be bothered in the least," John argued. "He acts just like you."

"That's what bothers me. I was a horrible teenager. I remember it vividly."

Mary giggled and clapped Sherlock on the back reassuringly. "He's a good kid. We all had our moments."

"Moments, yes. My moments consisted of drug use, cutting, fistfights with my father and brother as well as strangers, self-mutilation with fire…"

"Jesus, Sherlock…"

"Sneaking around behind the police, putting myself in situations that no sixteen year old boy should be in."

"But is the constant fighting with him going to help?" Mary asked.

"What else can I do? It was all so much easier when he was little. When I wanted him to do something and he refused, I could just pick him up and force him. Now he protests and fights me every step."

"Of course he does," John said with a derisive snort. "He's a teenager. Being defiant is part of growing up. Otherwise he'd be living in your house being a child for the rest of his life."

"Yes and just when he outgrows it and moves out on his own, Scarlett will start in," Sherlock grumbled.

Mary chuckled. "Oh and she'll be worse. She'll be a girl."

"I can't imagine Scarlett being anything but an absolute darling."

John and Mary burst into laughter. Sherlock just stared at them as if they'd actually taken leave of their senses this time. "What?" he said finally.

"Scarlett, like our daughters, is a beautiful girl that's only going to get more beautiful as time goes by. Boys much like Gabriel are going to be beating down the door to get to her and it's going to drive you mad."

"Please," Sherlock scoffed. "She's just a baby."

"She's eight," John said. "Hardly a _baby_. Don't think I didn't hear that little conversation you and Molly had over her swimsuit. You're already paranoid about it!"

"Don't be absurd!"

" _She's not a baby, she's MY baby_ ," John whined in a perfect imitation of Sherlock's voice. "How many times have we heard that?"

"Oh and you aren't just as bad? Not letting Isabel have that little boy from her class over to the flat to play because you didn't like the look of his hair?"

"He was ten! And a bit of a punk with his hair standing on end. And his mother was a patient!"

Mary gasped. "I thought you told me that Isabel's friend was sick and that's why he couldn't come over!"

Before John and Mary could begin to argue in earnest, Sherlock stopped them with an exaggerated cough. "Look, none of this has anything to do with the problem at hand. Gabriel is going to be sixteen and suddenly I have no idea who he is anymore! When I look at him, I still see that little boy in the Batman underwear with the messy hair eating baked apples and slurping his tea. But apparently I'm supposed to forget about that and treat him like an equal now!"

"He's still your child, Sherlock," Mary started, but John interrupted.

"Have you grown a vagina on this trip?"

"What?"

"You sound like Molly every time she has to buy the twins new shoes! _He's growing up too fast! He doesn't need us anymore! We should have another baby!_ " John's impersonation of Molly cracked Mary up and soon they were both weeping with laughter.

"I hate you both," Sherlock sighed.

 **OoOoOo**

Gabriel and Katie walked along the boardwalk hand in hand. The air had grown chilly and Gabe had surrendered his hoodie to her. The shops and restaurants along the water's edge that were usually bustling with kids and tourists were quiet tonight. It seemed as if the whole world was leaving Camber Sand before summer gave way to autumn. Gabriel had always thought it was the saddest time of the year even though he knew they'd be back for another short holiday and then Christmas. It wasn't the same. Soon it would be desolate and boarded up for the season.

Katie shivered and pulled Gabe's jacket closer around her shoulders. "It's hard to believe that it was so warm this morning."

"Storm must be coming in. You can almost smell the rain."

She nodded. "I wish we didn't have to go home this weekend."

"I know. School starts in a couple of weeks and rugby practice."

"And orchestra," Katie finished. "It's a wonder I ever get to see you."

Gabriel smirked. "We still go to the same school. And we walk home together every single day."

"Unless you have some kind of practice."

"Well you could stay and watch, you know."

"Oooh… big fun!" Katie exclaimed with sarcastic glee. "No thank you."

He squeezed her hand and drew her closer into his side. She felt nice there, all snuggled up beside him. Something about Katie just fit. Jessica had tried to fit. She tried so hard that she was tiresome about it, but Katie didn't have to try. She didn't have to pretend to like the same music he did or the same movies. She didn't have to fill up the room with conversation. Sometimes they just sat on the sofa doing completely different things, just happy to be together. It was comfortable. "Actually, I was thinking of quitting the orchestra."

Katie stopped, causing him to stumble. "What? Why?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I think I'm as good at the violin as I'm likely to get. I'm kind of bored with it."

"But you've been playing forever!"

"Exactly."

"Gabe… wow…" she stammered. "Your dad is going to be…"

"He'll probably be pissed off, but whatever. I'm sick of doing what he wants me to do all the time."

"But you're so good, Gabe! You could be with the London Symphony. Everybody says so. You have real talent. It would be stupid for you to throw that away because of some fight with your dad!"

"It's not because of that."

"That's shit and you know it," Katie scolded. "You are wanting to do anything you can to make him mad at you."

"I don't want him to be angry with me. I just want him to stop treating me like a little kid! And I might not quit. Or maybe I'll play something else." Before she could respond, Gabriel noticed that the little place where he'd gotten his tongue pierced was open. "Let's go look at barbels. I don't like the one I have. It's too heavy."

"But…"

"Come on," he said, dragging her by the hand.

The guy who worked there didn't even look up from his mobile when the couple walked in. The place was completely deserted except for a shifty looking kid browsing the tattoo flash that lined the walls. Gabriel had been so high on adrenaline when they were here before that he hadn't noticed that the place not only did piercing and tattoos but was also a barber shop. Suddenly he was inspired.

"Gabe," Katie hissed. "This place is kind of creepy. Let's go."

"Just a minute." He broke away from Katie and walked up to the tattooed shopkeeper. "Hey mate."

"Yep," the guy replied, still staring at his phone.

"How much for a haircut?"

"Nine pound, fifty."

Gabriel dug several notes out of his pocket and handed them over. The man looked up and took the bills, counting them carefully before standing up and beckoning for Gabriel to sit. "All right then. What do you want me to do?"

"Cut it. All of it."

"What?" Katie exclaimed, rushing to his side.

The barber snorted and nodded. "How short, mate?"

"To the scalp."

"That's a serious haircut. You sure you want to do that, kid?"

"Gabriel! You can't cut all your hair off!" Katie protested. "What if you change your mind?"

"It'll grow back," he replied, then looked back at the barber. "I'm sure."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter is shortish, but I thought everyone was anxious to see the reaction to the hair. I should have called this chapter Hairum Scarum. At any rate, enjoy! And thanks so much for all the reads and reviews. They make me smile on days when nothing else will!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except the children and Cat the dog.**

"Can we have ice cream, Daddy?" Finn was yawning and asking for ice cream simultaneously as Sherlock rubbed the towel over his hair.

"Ice cream? Isn't it time for you to go to sleep?"

"Can't I have ice cream first?"

"I'm afraid not, child-thing. You and your brother are going to bed." In truth, Sherlock had had just about enough of his children for one night. Scarlett, Jada, and Isabel had played hard and giggled incessantly until it was finally too good to be true and a fight erupted. When he left to tuck the twins into bed, Molly was disentangling Scarlett's fingers from Isabel's hair while Mary and John were scolding Jada for starting the whole thing.

"Scarlett get to stay up," Will whined from where he was perched on the edge of his bed.

"Not much longer. If she lives."

"But I not tired, Daddy," Finn whined.

"Me either," Will chimed.

"You're both lying through your faces," Sherlock replied. "You should have been in bed ages ago." He tossed Finn's towel toward the cupboard and pulled back the duvet. He motioned for Finn to climb under the covers. After a moment's hesitation, the four year-old decided he'd better do as he was told and climbed in. Sherlock tucked the duvet around the little boy and smoothed his hair back from his brow. "No getting up tonight, yes?"

"Okay Daddy," Finn murmured. He allowed his father to tuck his stuffed owl under his arm. "Are you sure we can't have ice cream?"

"I'm positive, Finn." He leaned over and kissed the little one's forehead before turning to Will. "You too. Climb in."

Will climbed under the covers and then proceeded to kick them off until he was completely uncovered, save for his feet. "I don't know why we can't have ice cream before bed."

"Because life isn't fair," Sherlock replied. "When you get older you can eat ice cream at two in the morning if you like but until then I'm afraid you'll just have to go to bed." He handed Will the large rubber snake that he always slept with.

"It isn't fair being small," Will grumbled.

"It doesn't get much better being big," Sherlock said. He laughed at seeing Will's crinkled brow. The twins were identical to one another and, in Sherlock's opinion, their mother. When Will was annoyed he wrinkled his nose just like Molly. "But you'll be all right. You can have ice cream tomorrow."

"For breakfast?"

"No."

"Then when?"

"Go to sleep, Will." He kissed the little boy's temple and turned out the lamp on the table beside them. "Love you, boys. Stay. In. Bed."

The boys murmured sleepily as Sherlock closed the bedroom door. When he arrived downstairs, Molly, Mary, and Mrs. Hudson were sitting around the dining table having tea. All three of them had thin, plastered smiles that were indicative that something was up. "Hello?" he said.

They replied with hums over their teacups.

Sherlock approached the table with caution. Whatever was going on, he probably wasn't going to like it. He examined each of them in turn for some indication of their shared secret but he came up short. Until he came to Molly. She was always the easiest to read. _Failure to make eye contact, nervous tapping of the right foot, numerous sips of tea yet the cup is almost empty, and shies away from contact._ "So Mouse, what's going on with Gabriel that you don't want to tell me?"

"What?" she gasped, putting her cup down so hard she jumped with the noise.

"While I was putting the twins to bed I heard the door open and the distinct rumble of our oldest child and the giggle of his girlfriend. I come in to find that the three of you are sitting around this table like you're planning D-Day. It wasn't a difficult leap. So just tell me so I can be pissed off and get it over with."

"There's nothing to be pissed off about," Mary chuckled. "You'll just be… surprised."

"Hmph," Mrs. Hudson grunted. "Surprised is a word for it."

Before she could go on, the door to the patio opened and the teenagers came through arm in arm. Katie was laughing. For a moment, Sherlock thought the girl had brought that Mark dolt back to the house, but when the boy turned it was clear that Gabriel was the dolt in question. And he'd cut all of his hair off. Actually, cut wasn't the word. Shaved was more like it. The pale skin of his scalp was slightly visible through the shorn hair on the sides and in back. It was slightly longer on top but not so long that the strands were able to curl. His eyes seemed enormous and his features, sharp and strange like his father's, were even more pronounced than usual.

Gabriel stopped short upon seeing his father standing in the dining room. He gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his hand over the spiky strands of his hair. "Oh, hey Dad. I didn't know you were here."

"I live here, don't I?"

"Well technically no," Mary interjected. "It's a vacation house." She noticed that everyone was staring at her. Finally she stood up and began clearing the teapot and cups away from the table.

"I just hadn't seen you all evening," Gabriel said. It was obvious that he was trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing. Sherlock decided that he wasn't going to give the kid the satisfaction of having some kind of parental meltdown. After all, he'd been telling him to cut his hair for months.

"I've been right here," Sherlock replied as he sat down on the sofa with a case file courtesy of the Sussex police.

"I think I'll go up and take a bath," Katie said. She brushed a fingertip along Gabriel's shoulder as she passed by. Everyone else must have taken her cue and began to scatter, leaving them in the lounge.

Gabriel went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of water before nosing around the leftovers from dinner. "Is this chicken?"

"Yes. But Finn has already taken a bite of it."

"Why is it in the fridge then?"

"Your mother said he'll be eating that piece of chicken for every meal until it's gone."

Gabriel laughed. "Should I do him a favor and just eat it?"

"Probably."

Gabriel sat down with his snack and began devouring it as he usually did. Sherlock watched out of the corner of his eye and the boy was staring. Waiting. Almost buzzing with anticipation of his comment on the haircut. Finally, after ten minutes of silence, Gabriel broke. "So aren't you going to say anything?"

"About what?"

"About my hair."

"What of it?"

Gabriel snorted and set his plate aside. "I cut it."

"I noticed."

"Well aren't you going to say anything?"

Sherlock sighed and closed his folder. "What do you want me to say, Gabe?"

"Well… I don't know."

"It's your hair. What you do with it is your business as long as it isn't hurting you."

Gabriel shook his head with a derisive snort. "Please. You passed your deductive gifts down to me, dear father, and I can tell that it's killing you."

"Hardly. Once again you're trying to pick a fight with me for the sake of your teenaged rebellion and I'm not going to take the bait. I think your hair is fine and even if I didn't, what use would it be to shout about it now? The hair is gone and you can't put it back!"

Before Gabriel could respond, Scarlett ambled down the stairs leading a sleepy and sniffling Finn. "It's okay, Finn," she soothed. "You're just a little person." She tugged his arm, steering the little boy toward where Sherlock sat on the sofa.

"What's going on now?" Sherlock sighed.

"Mummy was in the bath and Finn wet the bed. I was watching telly with Izzy and Jada in Mummy's room and he told me."

"I sorry, Daddy," Finn wailed, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand.

Sherlock pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself not to be angry or annoyed. The child was only four. "It's all right, Phineas," he said, letting the little boy cuddle against his side. "Didn't you go before you got into bed?"

"I didn't hav'a go then," he whined.

"I woke Will up and let him get in Nena's bed," Scarlett said. "Should I take his sheets off?" Sherlock smiled. He had to hand it to Scarlett, she was an excellent big sister. She never shied away from taking care of her little brothers. It immediately assuaged his annoyance with his oldest child. Scarlett had learned everything she knew about being a big sister from Gabriel.

"Yes. Just pile them in the hallway and I'll take care of it." He took Finn's hand and started to lead him away. "Let's get you cleaned up." But Finn didn't budge. He was standing in front of Gabriel and staring up at him.

"Bre?" he said in a tone that was more of a question.

"What's going on, Finn?" Gabriel asked. The little boy gazed up at him a moment longer and then burst into tears. The tears turned to heartbreaking wails and shuddering sobs that left them all staring at one another. He was inconsolable and when Gabriel tried to pull his little brother near to comfort him, the child jerked away and hid behind his father's leg. "What…what did I do?" Gabriel asked.

"What happened to your hair?" Scarlett commented.

"I don't like it!" Finn whined. "No!"

"What is he on about?"

"Your hair," Scarlett said. "He doesn't like it."

"That's silly, Finn," Gabriel said as he stood and tried to pry his baby brother out of their father's arms. "I just cut my hair is all."

"Noooo!" Finn whimpered, turning away from him.

"He's scared of you because you look different," Scarlett explained.

"How do you know?" Gabriel asked.

"Because I'm smart."

It was as good an explanation as anything else.


End file.
